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| Lisa Saunders with her daughter, Elizabeth (1989-2006) |
I just went to the hospital to visit yet another new mom who didn't know that she was putting her pregnancy at risk by working at a daycare center. I too wasn't warned by my OB/GYN about the precautions I should have taken if working with young children. My daughter, Elizabeth, was born severely disabled by the virus in 1989. She died at the age of 16, leaving me heartbroken.
I have been trying to reach doctors with the message they should warn their patients about congenial CMV (cytomegalovirus), but perhaps I should spend more time trying to get day care centers to warn their workers, as is done on cigarette and alcohol labels. Or perhaps I should fight for signs in restrooms stating that certain infections can harm unborn children--therefore the necessity of hand washing after changing diapers, wiping noses, etc. I welcome any ideas from the community. Everyone knows not to change the kitty litter when they are pregnant. How can we let the country know that the saliva and urine of children needs to be handled cautiously?
I have written the following press release to let organizations know of my availability as a free local speaker on how to prevent the #1 viral cause of birth defects:
Author Lectures on #1 Birth Defects Virus—More Common Than Down Syndrome
"What you don't know can hurt your unborn baby"
Author and mother of child born disabled by congenital CMV, Lisa Saunders of Mystic, CT, is available to speak on how to prevent the #1 viral cause of birth defects, which causes more disabilities than Down syndrome.
Few women have heard of congenital CMV (cytomegalovirus) and more than half of OB/GYNs surveyed admitted they don't warn their patients about it.
According to the CDC:
- Every hour, congenital CMV causes one child to become disabled
- Each year, about 30,000 children are born with congenital CMV infection
- About 1 in 750 children is born with or develops permanent disabilities due to CMV
- About 8,000 children each year suffer permanent disabilities caused by CMV
Author Lisa Saunders didn’t know about CMV prevention until her daughter, Elizabeth, was born severely disabled by the virus in 1989. Elizabeth had cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and was mentally, visually and hearing impaired. While pregnant, Saunders ran a licensed daycare in her home while raising a toddler.
Saunders spoke at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, G.A., at the international 2008 Congenital CMV Conference. She said, “Mothers at the conference were coming up to me after my speech, with their children in wheelchairs or wearing hearing aids, and asked, ‘Why didn’t my OB/GYN warn me how to protect my baby from CMV? Why haven't you done more to shout it from the rooftops?’”
The CDC makes the following recommendations on simple steps you can take to avoid exposure to saliva and urine that might contain CMV:
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 drool
- handling children’s toys
Do not share food, drinks, or eating utensils used by young children
Do not put a child’s pacifier in your mouth
Do not share a toothbrush with a young child
Avoid contact with saliva when kissing a child
Clean toys, countertops, and other surfaces that come into contact with children’s urine or saliva
Saunders said, "Until OB/GYNs make CMV prevention a standard practice of care, I'm trying to "shout it from the rooftops" through my memoir, “Anything But a Dog! The perfect pet for a girl with congenital CMV.” I hope to reach a general audience by sharing the unusual account of how a big, old homeless dog found his way to Elizabeth's couch. I also include CMV prevention and treatment tips from the country’s leading CMV experts. The first chapter is available for free viewing in Amazon’s e-book version at:
www.amazon.com/dp/B005GRAE0I
The next international congenital CMV conference, where doctors, researchers and families will gather, will be held in San Francisco, California, Mon., Oct.29 - Fri., Nov. 2, 2012. A major objective of the meeting is to allow relatives caring for CMV patients to learn as much as possible from the most dedicated specialists in the world. The conference organizers have devised a special registration fee for up to four family members to attend. More Info:
www.mcaevents.org/t/01/cmv2012/index.aspx
To learn about the congenital CMV community of families, visit my blog at:
http://congenitalcmv.blogspot.com/
To learn more about the book and The National Congenital CMV Disease Registry and Research Program, visit:
http://www.unlimitedpublishing.com/cmv/
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See Lisa Saunders in a short news interview at:
http://www.wusa9.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=34235723001 or visit her website to see photos of her daughter, Elizabeth, at
http://www.authorlisasaunders.com/
Link to country's leading congenital CMV experts:
http://www.congenitalcmv.org/foundation.htm
An article quoting Saunders and CMV experts:
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090121/HEALTH/901210313
