National CMV Foundation, Inc.

We are thrilled to be part of the 2018 Give Day Tampa Bay campaign, to promote awareness of congenital CMV. 

The National CMV Foundation was founded in 2015 by John and Kristen Spytek of Tampa. Watch a video about their family's journey with CMV.

WHAT IS CONGENITAL CMV?

Congenital Cytomegalovirus, or CMV, is the most common viral infection that infants are born with in the United States, occurring in about 1 in 200 births. Because CMV is a silent disease – meaning most people who are infected have no signs of symptoms (asymptomatic) – the mother is likely unaware she has CMV during her pregnancy.

HOW CAN CMV AFFECT INFANTS?

Babies born with CMV may have birth defects and/or experience a vast range of developmental disabilities, including:

• Hearing loss
• Vision loss
• Mental disability
• Microcephaly (small head or brain)
• Intracranial calcifications
• Lack of coordination
• Cerebral Palsy
• Feeding issues / Failure to Thrive (FTT)
• Sleeping, behavior, sensory issues
• Seizures
• Death (in rare cases)

THE STATS

Statistically, about 30 to 50 percent of women of childbearing age in the U.S. have never been infected with CMV. Of these, about 1 to 4 percent will have their first CMV infection during a pregnancy (primary infection), giving them approximately a 40 percent chance of passing the virus to their unborn child.

OUR GOAL

The National CMV Foundation’s fundamental goal is to empower women of childbearing age to be advocates for their own health, especially during pregnancy. We encourage women to ask questions and be well informed about their health so that together, we can ultimately stop CMV from infecting unborn babies.

Our purpose is to prevent CMV infection in women of childbearing age, by:

• Empowering women, parents, families and local community networks through grassroots engagement to facilitate conversation and champion the cause.
• Delivering consistent, clear messaging and evidence-based data that aids in prevention, educates the public and increases its understanding of congenital CMV.
• Influencing CMV research priorities regarding CMV prevention, treatment and intervention.
• Advocating for a CMV vaccine.

Learn More at NationalCMV.org