Driving change for congenital CMV
02/07/2025
Congenital CMV (cCMV) is the most common viral infection passed from mother to baby during pregnancy and is a leading and preventable cause of cerebral palsy, hearing loss and other childhood disability. Despite cCMV being 30 times more common than toxoplasmosis and listeria, public awareness is low. Many women who have experienced CMV infection during pregnancy report they weren't informed about the virus or how to reduce their risk of infection.
In June, A/Prof Valerie Sung co-hosted the second national cCMV Symposium at MCRI, led by Professor Lisa Hui and A/Prof Hayley Smithers-Sheedy. The symposium brought families, researchers and clinicians together to drive progress in awareness, prevention and treatment, and showcased Australian and international research into cCMV.
The opening session, ‘Congenital CMV – where are we now?’ highlighted why we need to work on eliminating the impacts of cCMV for future generations. We were fortunate to have Hanako and Hugh Stump, Amity Adley and Pam Rogers share their experiences of cCMV. Hearing their stories was a highlight of the symposium.
Throughout the day, more than 20 speakers and leaders in the field shared the latest research on preventing, treating and managing congenital CMV, including those from Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, The University of Sydney, University of New South Wales, The University of Queensland, Monash University, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Pathology, The Royal Children’s Hospital and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. The last ‘Research Lightning Session’ highlighted the many research initiatives on cCMV around Australia. Kath Swinburn from the Cerebral Palsy Alliance launched the cCMV Research Priority Setting Project, highlighting the important work that is to come.
The event was held in collaboration with Mercy Perinatal and the University of Melbourne. Thank you to Mercy Perinatal and the Normal Besicher Medical Research Foundation for supporting this event, and our valued consumer partners Cerebral Palsy Alliance and Congenital CMV Association of Australia Inc., for their vital contributions.
Let’s work together to change the story of cCMV in Australia!
Patient story: Getting answers too late to prevent common virus
As a childcare worker, Shanie thought she would have been well briefed on the risks her job posed to her unborn baby. But when doctors advised Shanie that her eight–day–old son Knox was profoundly deaf caused by cCMV, she felt at a loss.
After the diagnosis, Knox was referred to The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) where the family met RCH paediatrician and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) A/Prof Valerie Sung.
