A Student, Teacher Partnership Leads to Life-Changing Newborn Screening Law - TAPinto.net
HAMILTON, NJ -- Thanks to the advocacy of a local teen and her teacher newborn children will be screened for a rare, potentially deadly, virus under a new law.
Babies born with cCMV can experience brain, liver, spleen, lung, and growth problems according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC.) The agency says the most common problem from cCMV can be hearing loss that can be detected after birth or later in childhood.
While pregnant, Gallagher unknowingly contracted CMV while pregnant with her son, Rocco. As a result of contracting the virus, Rocco has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
"I wish I had been warned about CMV when I was pregnant with Rocco. Doctors warn and test us for so many diseases while pregnant, but no one warns women about the most common virus that can cause severe disability in a fetus," said Gallagher. "By getting this law passed, to screen newborns and educated women about CMV,"
Under the law, the Department of Health (DOH) can screen newborn babies six months after the occurrence of several markers. They would be: the development of a reliable test or series of tests for screening infants; the availability of quality assurance materials for the cCMV test from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the inclusion of newborn cCMV screening in the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel of the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services' Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children, after the committee's evidence review of newborn screening for cCMV; a review of the proposed test from the DOH; the Commissioner of Health’s approval to include the test in the State’s Newborn Screening Program, based on the recommendations of the Newborn Screening Advisory Review Committee1; and the acquisition of the necessary equipment needed to implement the expanded screening tests by the State's Newborn Screening Laboratory.
“Cytomegalovirus is a common, usually harmless, viral infection that is frequently carried by children,” said Greenstein. “However, while the virus rarely causes illness, if a pregnant person is infected, they can potentially pass it on to their developing infant, causing the cCMV infection. cCMV occurs in 1 in every 200 newborns, with 1 in 5 of those affected developing permanent health problems."
Greenstein noted that cCmv infection can be fatal, causing the death of as many as 400 infants each year.
"I thought it was so important to let other mothers know about this life changing disease and it's affects. I was so humbling to know that the Assembly, Senate and Governor acknowledged how important educating people about CMV is," said Drennan.
"Eva has helped to change the future of so many families," Gallagher said. "Eva started to spearhead this legislation as an 8th grader, imagine what she will do as an adult! I cannot thank her enough, and I know families all over New Jersey will be grateful for this law as well."
Following a review completed by the DOH, the cCMV test will be recommended to be included in New Jersey’s Newborn Screening Program with subsequent approval by the Commissioner of Health. The DOH could charge a reasonable fee for cCMV testing.
Additionally, the Commissioner of Health would be required to establish an awareness campaign to educate those who are pregnant about cCMV and the value of detecting the virus early, interventions for the infection and its possible treatments.
source: https://www.tapinto.net/towns/hamilton-slash-robbinsville/sections/government/articles/a-student-teacher-partnership-leads-to-life-changing-newborn-screening-law
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