ASHA Uses June Awareness Month to Urge Increased Public Education
ROCKVILLE, Md., June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- A common virus that is largely unknown and generally harmless in healthy individuals is also a leading cause of hearing loss in babies due to exposure in the womb. Yet most women are not warned about this infection—called cytomegalovirus (CMV).
A worrisome 91% of women have never heard of CMV, according to the National CMV Foundation. To improve this picture, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is sharing information and resources throughout the month of June, which is National CMV Awareness Month.
"It's incredibly unfortunate that most pregnant women have never heard of CMV," said Bernadette Mayfield-Clarke, PhD, CCC-SLP, ASHA 2025 President. "This lack of public attention can rob women of the opportunity to take preventative measures that could protect their babies from numerous long-term conditions associated with this virus—including hearing loss and developmental delays."
CMV can infect people of all ages. In the United States, nearly 1 in 3 children is already infected with CMV by age 5. More than half of adults will contract the virus by age 40. Most people who have it show no signs or symptoms and thus aren't aware that they have been infected. When healthy people do show symptoms, these are usually mild and include sore throat, fatigue, or fever.
Congenital CMV is the term for children who are born with the virus. About 1 in 200 babies have congenital CMV. Of those babies, about 20% will experience long-term health problems. Most babies with congenital CMV do not show symptoms at birth. Congenital CMV is associated with long-term disabilities that are often delayed in onset.
CMV and Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is common in newborns with congenital CMV. Some babies will have hearing loss at birth, whereas others may develop it later. Because some of them will still pass their newborn hearing screening, it is important that all families are aware of the warning signs of hearing loss (ASHA provides a list of these signs in babies and toddlers). If a baby displays any of the signs, they should see a pediatric audiologist for a full hearing evaluation.
Hearing loss in babies with congenital CMV may progress rapidly during childhood into adolescence. Consistent access to sound during childhood is critical for speech and language development, communication, and learning. Undetected and untreated hearing loss during childhood can restrict a baby's exposure to spoken language, which can have lifelong consequences.
Except for Connecticut and Minnesota, most U.S. states do not screen all newborns for CMV. However, some states will test babies who don't pass their newborn hearing screening or have other risk factors or symptoms. If CMV is identified within an infant's first month of life, the baby can be treated with antivirals—medicines that may decrease the severity of hearing loss. Nevertheless, babies will still need to be closely monitored.
All children with congenital CMV should have regular hearing checks. Early intervention services are tremendously impactful for children who have hearing loss and/or other diagnoses. Often, these children will benefit from multidisciplinary teams that include audiologists, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and others.
Preventing CMV
Pregnant women can lower their chances of contracting CMV by reducing contact with saliva (spit) and urine from babies and young children. The National CMV Foundation encourages these practices:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for 15–20 seconds—especially after changing diapers, feeding a young child, wiping a young child's nose or saliva, and handling children's toys.
Being aware of your risk level is also key. Due to the high rate of infection in children under age 5 years, pregnant women who work with young children (e.g., pediatricians, preschool teachers/aides, speech-language pathologists) or those who already have a toddler(s) at home are at heightened risk. It is critical that pregnant women who interact with young children are diligent in the preventative practices above to reduce the risk of CMV.
For more information about CMV visit, http://www.nationalcmv.org/. For more information about hearing loss and to find an audiologist near you, visit http://www.asha.org/public.
About the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
ASHA is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for 241,000 members, certificate holders, and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology assistants; and students. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing and balance disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment, including hearing aids. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) identify, assess, and treat speech, language, and swallowing disorders. http://www.asha.org
Media Contact
Francine Pierson, ASHA, 301-296-8715, [email protected], https://www.asha.org
SOURCE ASHA
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