O’Dea Hails Passage of Newborn Health Screening Measure

State Representative Tom O’Dea (R-125) praised the passage of legislation he co-sponsored which will require all health care institutions caring for newborn infants to test those who fail a newborn hearing screening for cytomegalovirus (CMV) starting January 1, 2016.  It requires the testing be done as soon as is medically possible unless the parents object on religious grounds.

“The health implications to a newborn with CMV that goes undetected can be devastating,” said Rep. O’Dea.  “Hearing loss, vision loss, poor brain growth, seizures and even death can result for a baby born to a mother who contracts the virus while she is pregnant.  This disease is the leading infectious cause of developmental disabilities and hearing loss in children, and early detection is essential.  That won’t happen without screening, which is why we have moved to require this.”

Current law similarly requires health care institutions to test newborn infants for cystic fibrosis, severe combined immunodeficiency disease, and critical congenital heart disease.  The test for cytomegalovirus is not part of the state’s current newborn screening program for genetic and metabolic disorders. That program, in addition to screening, directs parents of identified infants to counseling and treatment.

CMV is a type of herpesvirus, with clinical similarities to chickenpox, shingles, and mononucleosis. Although usually harmless in healthy adults and children, CMV in newborns can lead to hearing loss or developmental disabilities. Transmission from mother to newborn occurs during pregnancy. According to the Center for Disease Control, 1 in 150 babies are born with CMV every year in the United States.  Studies suggest that fewer than 20% of women know about CMV or how to prevent its contraction during pregnancy.

The bill, HB 5525, An Act Concerning Cytomegalovirus, passed both the House and Senate with unanimous votes, and heads to the desk of Governor Dannel P. Malloy for his signature.