Senator Mannion And Assemblymember Rosenthal Announce Addition Of Congenital Cytomegalovirus (CMV) To State’s Routine Newborn Screening Panel

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SYRACUSE, NY – Senator John W. Mannion and Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal today announced the addition of congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV,) the leading cause of viral birth defects, to the New York State Department of Health’s routine newborn screening panel. The virus is transmitted through infectious body fluids and is commonly passed in utero, affecting one in 200 births. If not identified quickly, CMV can lead to permanent hearing and vision loss, developmental and motor delays, microcephaly and seizures.

The New York State Newborn Screening Program was awarded a contract from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to provisionally add CMV to its screening panel for a pilot period of one year. The free testing will be conducted as part of an infant’s routine newborn screening.
Senator Mannion and Assemblymember Rosenthal currently sponsor legislation (S.7659/A.7997) to require universal screening for CMV, which is pending before the State Legislature.

Senator Mannion and Assemblymember Rosenthal have championed CMV awareness and passed Elizabeth’s Law (S6287C/A7460) which provides child care workers with information to understand and protect themselves from CMV. Pregnant women, or those who may become pregnant, who look after young children in day care and similar settings are most at risk.

Elizabeth’s Law was inspired by the advocacy of the Saunders family from Central New York who lost their daughter to CMV. The passage of Elizabeth’s Law followed Rosenthal’s 2018 law requiring hospitals to test all newborns for CMV who fail their initial hearing screening, often a sign of infection.

Senator John W. Mannion (SD-50) said, “CMV is a serious threat to newborn health, but it’s also preventable. The inclusion of CMV screening in the New York State Newborn Screening Program along with the education and awareness prescribed by Elizabeth’s Law are major steps forward in protecting babies and families. I am grateful to Assemblymember Rosenthal for her partnership in this effort, and to the Saunders family for their advocacy on behalf of all children.”

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