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Advocating for Newborn CMV Screening through Hospital-Based Initiatives

Author: Maggie Kettler, AuD CMV newborn screening has increased tremendously in the past decade, with many states implementing the screening through legislative efforts. However, CMV screening legislation is not a realistic avenue in all states. In this blog post, we hear from Maggie Kettler, AuD, who has helped to lead successful efforts to increase CMV newborn screening in her home state of Ohio. In this post she discusses successes, challenges, and advice she has for advocates in other states. 

Early Career Research Award Update: Dr. Maria Talavera-Barber

Dr. Talavera-Barber, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, was a 2019 recipient of a National CMV Foundation Early Career Research Award. In this blog post, she discusses the impact of her research on CMV antibody levels in pregnant women and newborns.

Update: cCMV Nomination for the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP)

The most recent update about our nomination for congenital CMV (cCMV) for inclusion on the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP) by the Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children (ACHDNC) by Megan Pesch, MD, MS, FAAP, President-Elect National CMV Foundation. 

Volunteer Spotlight: Brandi Hurtubise

Meet Brandi Hurtubise, our Community Chair Alliance from Buffalo, NY. Brandi's daughter Samantha was born with cCMV. 

CMV Vaccine Trial Testimonial

Hear directly from Meghan, a CMV advocate participating in the Phase 3 Moderna CMVictory trial, as she discusses her why and shares basic facts about enrollment.

Newborn Screening and Congenital CMV

Author: Patrick Fleming, M.D. Candidate Early detection of congenital CMV infection in newborns is essential to providing the best possible care. Unfortunately, cCMV is not yet included in universal newborn screening (NBS) programs in the United States. Read more to learn about the history of NBS as it relates to congenital CMV.

Volunteer Spotlight: Alicia Busso

Meet Alicia Busso, our Community Alliance Chair from Missouri. Alicia is an emergency room physician and mother to two daughters, her oldest born with congenital CMV.
 

Late-Onset Hearing Loss Awareness

Author: Diana Hanson, MS CCC-A Late Onset Hearing Loss (LOHL) is hearing loss that follows a passed newborn hearing screening up until age 5-6 years. LOHL Awareness Week was established in May 2021 to shine a spotlight on a population of young children who are often undiagnosed until later in childhood.

Volunteer Spotlight: Shelly Zappas

Meet Shelly Zappas, our Community Alliance Chair from Los Angeles, California. Shelly is a family nurse practitioner and currently, a professor and the program director for the MSN-FNP program at the University of Southern California. She has two children, one born with congenital CMV.

COVID-19 Vaccine in Children With Disabilities and Complex Healthcare Needs

Author: Dr. Kathleen Muldoon & Dr. Megan Pesch The kid-sized Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was recently authorized for children 5 to 11 years of age. 28 million children are now eligible for vaccination, including approximately 1 in 6 children with a developmental disability. [1]  Recent statistics show why pediatricians and infectious disease experts at the National CMV Foundation support the vaccine for younger children, including for children with disabilities.

Volunteer Spotlight: Corey Clem

Meet Corey Clem, our Community Alliance Chair from New Home, Texas. Corey is an instructor at Texas Tech University and has daughter, Ellie, born with congenital CMV.