October 5, 2026

Dear CMV Canada community,

It’s been a busy few months at CMV Canada, with our community raising awareness across the country, new resources taking shape, and important developments in CMV research and care.

In this fall edition, we’re sharing what we’ve been up to, what’s new in the CMV community, and what’s coming next.

Thank you for continuing to learn, share, and help make CMV better known across Canada.

With gratitude,

Kayla, Rachelle, Rob, and Nibbles 🦫

(The CMV Canada Team)

New! CMV & Pregnancy Awareness Poster 🌟

Our new CMV & Pregnancy Awareness poster is now available in English and French! It shares key facts about CMV, why it matters during pregnancy, and simple ways to help reduce the risk of exposure.

Download the poster to print yourself and share in doctors’ offices, daycares, schools, workplaces, or anywhere CMV information could reach someone who needs it.

Download English here.

Download French here.

CMV Canada Half Marathon Recap + What’s Next 💙

On July 12, more than 220 runners joined us for the CMV Canada Half Marathon! It was an incredible day of running, community and CMV awareness, and we’re already looking ahead to next year.

With 5K and 10K distances joining the half marathon again next year, we’re giving the event a new name: CMV Canada Race Day! Next year will be bigger and better, with three distances to choose from, professional race-day photography and even more opportunities to come together and raise awareness for CMV.

Stay tuned for the 2027 date!

Run With Rob: 14 days across Nova Scotia 🏃

From July 19 to August 1, Rob ran 14 ultramarathons in 14 days across Nova Scotia to raise awareness for congenital CMV and advocate for universal newborn screening.

Along the way, we met with political leaders and health care providers to discuss the importance of early detection. These conversations showed strong awareness of the need for universal newborn screening and meaningful interest in advancing it in Nova Scotia.

Our work continues!

Help Us Shape Version 3.0! 📚

We’re updating the Parent Handbook for Congenital CMV in both English and French, and we want your input!

This resource has reached families around the world, and we want to make the next version even more helpful. Take a look through the current handbook and tell us: What do you wish you had known? What would you add, change or explain differently?

View the Parent Handbook for Congenital CMV here and send us your suggestions by email.

What's New in CMV Research 🌎

New research adds to the evidence supporting universal newborn CMV screening

• This study found that relying on a failed newborn hearing screen to trigger CMV testing does not identify all babies with congenital CMV.

• Universal screening removes that gap by testing every baby for CMV shortly after birth, regardless of their hearing screen result. This gives more babies the opportunity for an early diagnosis and appropriate follow-up.

• Read more here.

New recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics

• The American Academy of Pediatrics has released updated recommendations for the care of babies with congenital CMV, including guidance on who should be tested, treatment and ongoing follow-up.

• We recently shared an easy-to-understand breakdown of what parents should know on Facebook and Instagram, but you can also check out the recommendations here.

What about speech and language development?

• A new study looked at speech and language development in 69 children with congenital CMV. Nearly half had some form of speech difficulty, including some children who had normal hearing, suggesting that speech and language development may be important to monitor even when hearing isn’t a concern.

• The researchers recommend early speech and language monitoring for children with congenital CMV so that those who need extra support can get it sooner.

• Read the study here.

We Love Seeing CMV Awareness in Action! 💕

We love seeing the creative ways our community is raising awareness about CMV. These friendship bracelets made us smile. We love them, Caroline!

Keep sharing what you’re doing to spread the word. We love seeing it!

Nibbles Takes New York! 🗽

Nibbles has added another stop to his travels: New York City!

His mission to become Canada’s most well-travelled beaver continues, so if Nibbles joins you on an upcoming trip, send us a photo. We’re keeping track of just how far this little beaver can go!

On the Horizon 🌅 

2026 Annual Report

• Our Annual Report will be released at the end of November, highlighting our work and progress over the past year.

January Webinar

• We’re planning a webinar with the Canadian Foundation for Infectious Diseases for January. More details and registration information will be shared soon.

Lunch & Learns for Healthcare Providers

• We’re organizing in-clinic Lunch & Learns to provide healthcare professionals with practical information about congenital CMV.

New Handbook on Hearing Loss

• We’re developing a new handbook specifically for parents of children with hearing loss, which will be available online and distributed through audiology clinics.

National Congenital CMV Registry

• Work on the development of a national registry for congenital CMV is ongoing.

Help make our work possible!

We love hearing from our CMV Canada community! If you have any questions, ideas, or simply want to reach out, get in touch with us at info@cmvcanada.com.

Your thoughts and feedback are invaluable to us.

Until next time, stay connected, stay informed, and stay inspired.