Colorado Families for Hands & Voices

Colorado Families for Hands and Voices is dedicated to supporting families with children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing without a bias around communication modes or methodology.

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You are here: Home / The CO cCMV Family Network – Cytomegalovirus (congenital CMV)

The CO cCMV Family Network – Cytomegalovirus (congenital CMV)

 

Cytomegalovirus (pronounced sy-toe-MEG-a-low-vy-rus), or CMV, is a common virus that infects people of all ages. Congenital CMV (cCMV) is the leading non-genetic cause of childhood hearing loss, and the number one reason for birth defects caused by a virus. One in three children have CMV by the time they reach 5 years old, and up to 80% of adults have had it by the time they reach 40 years old. CMV  causes little to no health issues in healthy adults and children.

When a baby is born with CMV infection (also known as congenital CMV or cCMV), families should be quickly connected for support and education. About one out of every 200 babies is born with a cCMV infection, affecting more babies than ALL of the current conditions screened for at birth combined. And yet…only 14% of women have heard of CMV. Pregnant women need to know how to protect themselves from this virus that is so common in young children.

We want to bring families experiencing CMV together for mutual education and support related to this complicated condition, while advocating for greater public education, prevention, and routine cCMV screening at birth. Families have the right to know the full picture and have access to the best medical care and supports. It’s vitally important that cCMV is diagnosed within the first 21 days of life in order to be eligible for anti-viral treatment.

Want to learn more about cCMV as it relates to your child and your family’s journey?

We invite you to become a part of this supportive community!
Click to join the Colorado cCMV Family Network

                                                                                                  -Or-

                                                                  Email Jami Fries at Jami@co-hv.org

 

Colorado Family Stories:

Click for Erin’s story: Hidden Dangers of cCMV

Resources:

American Academy of Pediatrics, Colorado Chapter (aapcolorado.org)

Babies born with Congenital CMV – CDC

cCMV and Hearing Loss – CDC

Resources for Pregnant Women and Parents – CDC


Colorado-specific flyers created by the Colorado cCMV Family Network:

Learn more about why newborns are tested for cCMV (English)
Obtenga más información sobre por qué los recién nacidos son sometidos a pruebas para detectar cCMV (Spanish)

Your infant has tested positive for cCMV – now what? (English)
Su bebé ha dado positivo para cCMV – ¿y ahora qué? (Spanish)

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CO Families for Hands & Voices is dedicated to supporting families with children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing without a bias around communication modes or methodology.  We’re a parent-driven, … Continue...

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Colorado Families for Hands & Voices is dedicated to supporting families with children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing without a bias around communication modes or methodology. We’re a … Continue...

Supporting Families Without Bias

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