August, 2017       

Probes & Tips header
ECHO Initiative Events

* * * * * * * * * *
   
New Live Webinars:  
 
NEW Coffee Break
Mini-Webinar

Thursday, Aug. 17, 2017
1:00 p.m. EDT

* * * * * * * * * *    
  New OAE Training
Web Class: 

Four Sessions
:
October 16, 19, 23,
and 26, 2017
1 p.m. EDT
  
  ====================  
ECHO Initiative
Link to Previous Recorded Webinars:

If you've missed any of 
our previous webinars, 
click here to access our library of previously recorded webinars.

New to 
OAE Screening? 

I f your program is new to OAE screening, or if you have added new staff who need instruction on OAE 
screening practices,  
visit our 
where staff can view instructional video modules and access the corresponding 
resources. 
Quick Links

 

Find more helpful hints from previous issues of

 Probes and Tips 

and many other
resources at:  

 www.kidshearing.org 

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Tip of the Month
What to Know About Congenital Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and
Hearing Loss   

Hearing loss in children with congenital CMV can be present at birth or develop later.  An estimated 15%-20% of all cases of moderate to profound hearing loss among children is due to congenital CMV. About 1 in 7 babies born with CMV infection (about 15%) may develop hearing loss before 5 years of age even though they have no noticeable signs at birth. Identifying these children is one major reason that early care and education pro grams
National CMV Foundation 
NATIONAL CMV
FOUNDATION
need to provide quality hearing scr eening throughout early childhood.
 
In addition, programs can help to prevent hearing loss and other disabilities by sharing important information with women of child-bearing age on how to minimize  exposure to CMV during pregnancy.  Women working in early care and education settings, and the women they interact with as a part of serving children and  families, will all benefit from understanding how a common virus that does not present a threat to healthy adults or children can harm an unborn child.

CMV is very common in the general population and up to 70% of children under 3 years of age may carry it. Healthy children who acquire CMV from their peers will not suffer any negative consequence such as hearing loss. The danger is when pregnant women contract the virus and it is passed
through the placenta to the developing baby. A developing baby's exposure to CMV in utero can result in a range of disabilities. Pregnant women who care for young children, either at home or in workplace settings, are particularly at risk for being exposed to CMV through contact with an infected child's saliva or urine.   
 
Fortunately, there are simple things that women can do to minimize their risk of contracting CMV. As outlined by the National CMV Foundation, taking these simple precautions will reduce the transmission of the virus and thereby increase women's chances of having a healthy baby:
  • Wash Your Hands.  Wash your hands often with soap and water for 15-20 seconds, especially after the following activities:   
    • Wiping a young child's nose or drool
    • Changing diapers
    • Feeding a young child
    • Handling children's toys
  • Do Not Share Food, Utensils, Drinks or Straws. Saliva may remain on food, cups or cutlery and could transfer a CMV infection to you and your unborn baby. Although it may be easier to feed your child from your own plate or you do not want to waste remaining food from your child's plate, it is best not to share food or cutlery.
  • Do Not Put a Pacifier in Your Mouth.  How many of us are guilty of wanting to clean our child's pacifier by putting it in our mouth? Or, your hands are full and you put the pacifier in your mouth just to hold it for a moment? Saliva on your child's pacifier may transfer CMV to you and your unborn baby. Try to get in the habit of putting a pacifier on your pinky, not in your mouth.
  • Avoid Contact with Saliva when Kissing a Child. Try not to kiss a child under six years of age on the lips or cheek to avoid contact with saliva. Instead, kiss them on the forehead or top of the head and give them a big, long hug.
  • Do Not Share a Toothbrush. Toddlers love to imitate everything Mommy does, including pretending to brush their teeth with Mommy's toothbrush. Store your toothbrush in an area that your child cannot reach. 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is another source of information on minimizing risks associated with CMV.    
Probe of the Month
Do you need further information about congenital CMV or other potential causes of hearing loss in young children?   

Let us know at:  
 
    echo.ncham@usu.edu    
   
And, as always, share www.KidsHearing.org with anyone you think would benefit from our resources.     

 ECHO - Headstart



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Probes and Tips is a newsletter from the ECHO Initiative that provides monthly TIPS

to enhance early childhood hearing screening and follow-up practices and PROBES

 about current activities so we can learn from one another's successes and challenges.