Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common infectious cause of birth defects and the most common cause of nongenetic sensorineural hearing loss in children in the United States. About 1 out of 5 babies born with congenital CMV will develop long-term health problems, such developmental or motor delay, vision loss, seizures, or hearing loss. In February 2023, Minnesota became the first state in the nation to screen all newborns for congenital CMV, which will result in the identification of approximately 220 children per year with the infection. While congenital CMV is an established condition with high probability to affect development, it is not always clear what the best ways to communicate information about congenital CMV are. This presentation will discuss what the Minnesota Department of Health has learned since implementing screening for congenital CMV, what community organizations are hearing from caregivers, and ideas for educators supporting children and their caregivers, including:
Callie Holmes lives in Medford, Minnesota with her husband, Randy, and their five children. Their daughter was born with congenital Cytomegalovirus, leading to deafness as well as other developmental challenges. Callie has been involved with Minnesota Hands & Voices for five years; receiving support, attending events with her family, and attending conferences. She began working as a Parent Guide for Southeastern Minnesota in 2022. For the past 6 months, Callie has expanded her work to include providing support and resources to families of infants born with congenital Cytomegalovirus. Most recently, Callie has begun working as a Parent Guide for the Southwest Region and is now covering all Southern Minnesota.
Jess is the Minnesota Statewide Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Specialist with the Minnesota Low Incidence Projects. Jess has a background of working with children with hearing loss and their families as a Teacher of Deaf/Hard of Hearing in Northwestern Minnesota. She has focused much of her career on supporting young children with disabilities and their families during the early childhood years.
Bridget Walde is a Planner in the Longitudinal Follow-up Unit for the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). She supports the work of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention program, congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) family projects, and other work related to long-term follow-up for newborn screening conditions. Prior to working for MDH, she worked for the Children’s Defense Fund supporting the implementation of culturally responsive afterschool programming. She also spent two years working in Guatemala with children and adults with disabilities. Bridget graduated from Saint Louis University with her Master of Public Health and a concentration in maternal and child health.
Darcia Dierking, Au.D. holds pediatric audiology specialty certification and has more than 20 years of clinical and research experience working with both children and adults. Dr. Dierking works with the Minnesota Department of Health Early Hearing Detection and Intervention program doing longitudinal follow-up for children who are deaf and hard of hearing.
