Parents applaud Alberta's commitment to expand newborn screening to include congenital CMV

Every baby born in Alberta is screened for 22 treatable conditions, but soon that list will be longer.

Last month, the provincial government committed to including another five conditions in Alberta's newborn screening program, including congenial cytomegalovirus (CMV).

According to CMV Canada, an advocacy organization for prevention and detection of the virus, CMV is a common virus that can spread to anyone, but can be dangerous when contracted during pregnancy and transmitted to babies before they are born.

Some of the worst symptoms include hearing loss or intellectual disabilities.

Advocates say early detection within 48 hours of birth, by pricking the baby's heel for a blood sample, can be life-saving.

GEORGIA

"It's a huge deal for Alberta to move forward with steps towards making sure that every child born with CMV will have the diagnosis and will have access to information and support," said Lisa Robinson from Innisfail, Alta.

Robinson's daughter Georgia is now 11 years old, but was diagnosed with congenital CMV before she was born by a test of amniotic fluid.

Robinson says the diagnosis allowed her daughter to access antiviral treatment after her birth, which proved to be life saving.

"Knowing that so many families have gone without the diagnosis, here in Alberta and everywhere, that’s the thing that keeps us fighting for change.

"That's the thing for me, personally, that has been keeping me up at night," said Robinson.

MADDISON

Lindsay Craig's daughter Maddison was diagnosed with CMV a few months after birth, but Craig says early treatment helped her daughter improve.

"She lives with hearing loss, she meets all of her milestones and is doing really well," Craig said.

"Having a diagnosis is a key piece of information that allows the proper supports to be put in place for good development of your children."

ALBERTA FOLLOWS SUIT

On July 18, Premier Danielle Smith issued a mandate letter to Health Minister Adriana LaGrange that stated she expected $6 million to be invested to add five more conditions to the Alberta Newborn Screening Program, not only including CMV but also argininosuccinic aciduria, guanidinoacetate methyltransferase deficiency, mucopolysaccharidosis type 1 and 3-hydroxy-3- methylglutaryl-CoA lyase.

Though LaGrange's office offered no specific timeline for when the newborn screening program would be expanded, a statement issued to CTV News says they will be moving forward on that mandate "as soon as possible."

"We want to make the newborn conditions we screen for as comprehensive as possible," reads the statement.

"Alberta already leads the country with automatic newborn screenings for 22 conditions and these additions will improve the program even further."

CMV Canada says Ontario and Saskatchewan already offer universal automatic screening for CMV.

CMV Canada says treatment for positive cases includes anti-viral medications.

There is no vaccine available, however, research is underway.

To learn more about CMV, you can visit CMV Canada's website.