June is Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Awareness Month, and many parents have never even heard of it. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CMV is the leading infectious cause of birth defects in the United States and can have lifelong consequences.
A 2-month-old girl from Landenberg, Chester County, is battling the effects of CMV with help from a team of doctors at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Wilmington.
Callie Resler, who was born on April 25, has permanent hearing loss in her left ear because of congenital CMV, according to her mother, Lindsay Resler.
“Her right ear is mildly damaged and her left ear is currently severely damaged,” Lindsay Resler said. “With CMV, it can progress and get worse throughout their whole childhood. We’re hopeful that both ears will hang on, but her left ear could fully become profoundly deaf, which would lead to cochlear implants.”
CMV causes mild symptoms in healthy adults, but can be dangerous when passed from mother to baby in the womb, according to experts.
“If it’s very early in pregnancy, sometimes the result can be very serious,” pediatric infectious disease doctor Jennifer Vodzak, from Nemours Children’s Hospital, said. “It can lead to a miscarriage and sometimes can lead to very serious birth defects for an infant.”
Lindsay Resler found out her daughter had CMV after she failed her hearing tests. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, babies who do not pass their hearing screening test should be tested for CMV within 21 days of birth. Congenital CMV infection is diagnosed with a urine, saliva or blood test.
“We had no idea,” Lindsay Resler said. “I had a healthy pregnancy.”
Lindsay Resler believes she caught CMV during pregnancy from her 2-year-old daughter Lily Resler, who goes to daycare. Toddlers can carry the virus without symptoms, and it can spread through saliva or contact with toys.
“So that’s why it really is crucial if you are pregnant with younger kids, just to be really diligent with not sharing utensils, washing your hands, just all of those things,” Lindsay Resler said.
Vodzak, one of seven doctors working with the family, started Callie on antiviral medication to slow the virus and protect her body.
“There are some researchers, and so hopefully some success ahead in the near future, about a possible vaccine for CMV,” Vodzak said.
Until then, Lindsay Resler is on a mission. She is pushing for CMV screening during pregnancy and raising awareness among moms everywhere.
“It’s just important to really jump on everything right away within that first month of birth so that hopefully they can live as normal of a life as possible,” Lindsay Resler said.
