Wash Away CMV

It’s pretty rare that I share straightforward press releases on the blog, but when this one landed in my inbox, I knew I’d be sharing it with you. It’s important, it matters, and I’d like to help get the message out about CMV and join in with their Wash Away CMV campaign….

Celebrities Kimberley Walsh and Rufus Hound are amongst hundreds of people who have posted a “handie’ on social media, to show their support for the www.cmvaction.org.uk Wash Away CMV campaign. But the charity is hoping people throughout the UK will join in the campaign too.

Only 14% of women aged 18 – 44 know about the deadly CMV virus, which is more common than Down’s Syndrome, Toxoplasmosis, Spina Bifida or Rubella, according to a survey of over 1,000 British women recently published by CMV Action.

Congenital CMV is one of the main causes of children being born with birth defects in the UK but pregnant women are not routinely told about it, nor the simple steps they can take to protect themselves.

CMV Chair and parent of a CMV child, Caroline Star, takes up the story: “CMV can have devastating effects on an unborn foetus including profound deafness, cerebral palsy and even stillbirth, and yet most women of childbearing age have no idea what it is. However, there are some simple steps women can take to avoid catching CMV when pregnant and it doesn’t take long to arm women with this knowledge”.

CMV Action wants to educate women about the virus and a range of preventative measures – washing your hands regularly and thoroughly with soap and water during pregnancy, especially after changing a young child’s nappy or clearing up after meals, is paramount. The CMV virus is easily killed by soap and water but remains alive outside the body for as long as 15 minutes.

Pregnant women are more at risk because, if they catch the virus, it can cause a number of birth defects in their developing baby. CMV is the most common infection at birth. Around 1 in 1000 babies born in the UK will be damaged by CMV – that’s nearly 1000 babies every year. As CMV is unheard of, it is a common misconception that it is rare. It is, in fact, more common than Down’s Syndrome, Toxoplasmosis, Spina Bifida and Rubella.

CMV is a “stealth virus” which works by evading the immune system, so developing a vaccine has not been easy. However, international experts and government representatives are now positive it can be done. Once you catch it, you have it in your body for life but it doesn’t protect you from catching a different strain of the virus. The virus is spread through saliva, nasal discharge, and other bodily fluids, yet with awareness and simple precautions, a pregnant woman can greatly reduce the risk to herself and her unborn child.

Kimberley Walsh’s friend, Lisa, has a son, Christian, who was diagnosed with Congenital Cytomegalovirus shortly after being born, which has left him profoundly deaf and autistic. Commenting on her decision to become a Patron of CMV Action, Kimberley Walsh said: “For me, it’s personal, especially now being pregnant myself. The CMV virus affected my friend’s son, which means he has permanent disabilities. I have always wanted to do something for Christian and particularly the charity CMV Action, set up to support families affected by CMV and to raise awareness of the CMV virus. Congenital CMV is one of the main causes of children being born with birth defects in the UK but pregnant women are not routinely told about it, nor the simple steps they can take to protect themselves.”

CMV ACTION WEBSITE CMV ACTION TWITTER CMV ACTION FACEBOOK

I’ve joined the campaign, and you can also help spread the word. Simply write “Wash Away CMV” on your hand, take a photo and share it on your Blog, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, by using @cmvactionuk or #washaawayCMV when uploading the image, It’s a simple but effective way to get across the hand washing message to everyone, but especially women planning a pregnancy.

Wash Away CMV

I didn’t even know about this – did you? Please help raise awareness and get those handies tweeted.

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4 thoughts on “Wash Away CMV”

  1. Wow I can’t believe I’ve never heard if it, sounds terrifying and quite important to me at the moment! Will definitely be sharing and finding out more – and making sure I wash my hands even more than I do now!! xx

    1. Jocelyn Reading

      I know, I’d never heard of it either, and whilst I didn’t want to panic anyone, I wanted to share and help raise awareness, as it seems so entirely preventable xx

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