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How Flyers can Help Raise CMV Awareness

FACT: According to a 2006 survey, only 22% of women had heard of congenital CMV, with very few aware of prevention measures. Women's awareness of CMV in this survey ranked last among other birth defects and common childhood illnesses despite CMV being one of the most common and most serious causes of birth defects and disabilities.

Women try hard to commit themselves to healthy behaviors during pregnancy--most mothers-to-be understand the risks associated with alcohol and tobacco consumption during pregnancy. Some women even shy away from certain foods believed to be unsafe to her developing child. Pregnant women will even avoid changing the cat litter box for 9 months and will assign the painting of the nursery to their spouse. Not enough pregnant women realize that basic personal hygiene is crucial in preventing the spread of viruses, such as CMV, which could potentially harm their unborn child.

Both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that OB/GYNs counsel women on basic prevention measures to guard against CMV infection, including handwashing and avoiding contact with the bodily fluids of babies and small children. According to a 2007 ACOG survey, fewer than half (44%) of OB/GYNs reported counseling their patients about preventing CMV.

Stop CMV understands how difficult it may be to adjust ones daily routine while pregnant, especially for mothers and those women who work as child care providers, daycare workers, nurses, teachers, and therapists. However, it is important for these messages to be communicated to pregnant women and those planning future pregnancies in order to inform and empower them to take a more active role in their personal hygiene and healthcare decisions.

How You Can Help

• Print out the flyer above detailing information about CMV and prevention measures.
• You may want to print up to 5 or 10 flyers in case the physician decides to post the flyers in individual examination rooms.
• You may choose to make a phone call to the physician to ask for permission ahead of time. This may increase the probability of your success.
• Take the flyer to the physicians office.
• If you do not have an appointment, greet the staff member at the front desk and ask to have the flyer posted in the main lobby waiting room or in individual exam rooms. (For example: "Hello, I am a patient of Dr. _____________. I realize that I don't have an appointment today but I was wondering if it is possible to have this flyer hung up in the bathroom, waiting room, or exam rooms?")
• If you are asked about the flyer or CMV, you can simply say, "CMV is a common virus that causes birth defects and disabilities."
• Be sure to THANK any staff members, nurses, or physicians who assist you when you bring in the flyer.

Frequently Asked Questions

If OB/GYNs counsel their patients about CMV, why do we need to hang up a flyer?

Despite the recommendations of the ACOG and the CDC, some OB/GYNs do not routinely inform pregnant women about CMV or prevention measures. This could be due to the perceived rarity of congenital CMV cases, the physician's possible limited knowledge of the virus, the lack of congenital CMV diagnoses within their practice, or just a simple oversight. By asking your OB/GYN to post a flyer about CMV, you are also helping to foster awareness in the medical community. You could possibly assist the physician or their staff in becoming more aware and informed about congenital CMV, recent studies and medical advances.

What if they aren't interested in posting a flyer?
At the very least, ask if they are willing to post a flyer in the lobby, a hallway bulletin board or a bathroom. In OB/GYN offices, pregnant women are routinely screened via urinalysis for a variety of conditions including bacterial infections, sugar, protein, etc. Needless to say, the bathroom of the OB/GYNs office becomes a very familiar place during pregnancy and should be considered prime real estate for health related information.

Why take flyers to pediatrician and family practice offices?

Anecdotal evidence suggests that many pregnant mothers with a young child in the home are at increased risk of contracting the CMV virus from routine caregiving and contact with that child. Many pregnant women are not aware that a variety of germs and viruses carried by their children can cause damage to their unborn child. Pediatricians work to promote good health behaviors of their patients and their patients' families. Many pediatricians have expressed their support and interest in providing this information to their patients--these physicians realize that children's health begins during pregnancy. Because pediatricians and family practice physicians provide care and support to children born affected by congenital CMV, they have a keen understanding of the severity and scope of the various affects of congenital CMV.

Flyer Language Translation

Thank you to the following Stop CMV members and supporters who have assisted in language translation for Stop CMV flyers:

• Spanish - Malena Santos & Pedro Martinez
• Portuguese - Ana Teresa de la Cuesta
• French - Anne-Helene Labissy
• Danish - Andreas Tjornehoj
• Swedish - Karin Sandström
• German - Raul Becerra
• Italian - Federica Maranza
• Dutch - Diederik Meuris
• Czech - Jitka Jemelkova
• Romanian - Maria Calinescu
• Greek - Raul Hernandez Gonzalez
• Russian - Plamen Tzanev
• Bulgarian - Plamen Tzanev

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