Do you know what the most common cause of

newborn disability is?

It affects more children than Down Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol

Syndrome & Spina Bifida…

Intellectual disabilitiesGlobal developmental delay

Feeding problemsMicrocephalyCerebral palsy

DeafnessBlindness

AutismSeizures

and death….

These are some of the affects of

CMV (cytomegalovirus)

And yet it is not protocol for a woman to be

advised or screened for CMV at prenatal visits.

Mia’s story……

Mia was born with low platelets, feeding problems, breathing & heart issues and

was failing to thrive.

After spending 3 weeks in NICUMia went home with her parents

who at the time thought she would be fine.

Neither Lauri or her Doctor knew that she had contracted CMV

while she was pregnant.

She didn't know that her little girl would have to fight

everyday for the rest of her life.

Mia has spent almost all of her life in hospital.

Every day she suffers due to complications caused by

congenital CMV

Mia has up to 15 absent seizures every day.

She spends most of her time sleeping due to the

pure exhaustion and intensity of them.

Six times a day she is fed via a life support machine through her PEG tube because she

can not eat.....

Up to 15 times a day Mia suffers from choking episodes which are life

threatening & render her unable to breathe.....

These episodes are so disturbing that they can not be included on this presentation

Every day Mia struggles to regulate her heart rate,

temperature, breathing and blood pressure…

For her parents, Lauri and Jason, every time Mia smiles they are filled

with joy

every day Mia breathes they breath a sigh of relief.

Every day Mia wakes up is a miracle.

Mia loves watching Dora the explorer, reading books, her therapy dog Amos, her two

brothers Jayden & Caleb and of course her Mum & Dad

On March 30th 2012she will be 5 years old

Mia is now in palliative care

• wash your hands with soap and water for 15 seconds after feeding a young child, changing nappies, wiping a young child’s nose or handling children’s toys• Do not share food, drinks or eating utensils• Do not share your toothbrush• Do not put a child’s pacifier in your mouth• Avoid contact with saliva when kissing a child• Clean toys, countertops and other surfaces that come into contact with urine or saliva

CMV is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids so there are a few simple steps

you can take to avoid exposure:

Experts believe that by taking these simple steps to avoid exposure

Mothers could reduce the number of children with Congenital CMV by half.

www.ccmvaustralia.org

Thank you for taking the time to watch this presentation