CMV Awareness Month shines a spotlight on a little-known risk in pregnancy

Despite being one of the most common causes of preventable disability in babies, most Australians have never heard of CMV. 

This month, A Current Affair helped bring this important issue into the national spotlight, featuring our very own Nadia Badawi and Steph and Jack, parents of a beautiful family with personal experience of congenital CMV. The story highlighted the devastating impact CMV can have on children and families, while also sharing the simple steps that can help reduce the risk of infection during pregnancy. 

Steph shared how small changes during pregnancy, such as avoiding sharing food, drinks and utensils with young children, can help reduce the risk of infection. 

These simple precautions are particularly important for women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy and who have toddlers at home or work with young children. 

Each year in Australia, around 400 babies are born with lifelong disabilities linked to CMV, including hearing loss, epilepsy and cerebral palsy. Yet awareness of the virus remains low, and many women are not informed about CMV during routine antenatal care. 

Australian Pregnancy Care Guidelines now recommend that all pregnant women are informed about CMV and that women at higher risk are offered testing early in pregnancy. 

At Cerebral Palsy Alliance, we are working alongside clinicians, researchers and the Congenital CMV Disability Prevention Network to improve awareness and support consistent implementation of these guidelines so that more families have access to this important information. 

Watch the A Current Affair segment featuring Nadia Badawi and families affected by CMV to learn more about why awareness matters.