Bill Text: NY J00750 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Memorializing Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim June 2021, as Cytomegalovirus Awareness Month in the State of New York

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2021-05-11 - ADOPTED [J00750 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-J00750-Introduced.html

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Senate Resolution No. 750

BY: Senator RIVERA

        MEMORIALIZING Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim
        June 2021, as Cytomegalovirus Awareness Month in the
        State of New York

  WHEREAS,  The  State  of  New  York takes great pride in recognizing
serious diseases by proclaiming official months to increase awareness of
such concerns, which affect thousands of New Yorkers; and

  WHEREAS, It is the sense of this  Legislative  Body  to  memorialize
Governor  Andrew  M.  Cuomo  to  proclaim  June 2021, as Cytomegalovirus
Awareness Month in the State of New York; and

  WHEREAS, Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most  common  viral  infection
transmitted  from  a pregnant woman to her unborn child, and the leading
non-genetic cause of deafness in children; the majority  of  people  who
are  infected with CMV have no signs or symptoms, and while there are no
harmful side effects, it can be devastating to a fetus; and

  WHEREAS, One in 150 children are born  with  congenital  CMV;  every
year,  20,000  to  40,000  infants  are  born  with  CMV and roughly 400
children die from CMV annually;  congenital  CMV  infection  is  largely
undetected  because  the  majority of infants are asymptomatic at birth;
and

  WHEREAS, At least 20% of infants with CMV have or develop  permanent
disabilities,  such as hearing loss, microcephaly, intellectual deficits
and vision abnormalities; and

  WHEREAS, CMV is transmitted by contact with saliva and urine,  often
from  diaper-wearing  children  to  adults; pregnant women often get CMV
from their toddlers, especially toddlers in day care, as nearly  one  in
three children are infected by age five; and

  WHEREAS,  It  is  difficult for mothers to protect themselves from a
virus carried by the children they care  for,  especially  if  they  are
unaware  of  the  virus itself; less than one in five pregnant women are
aware of cytomegalovirus; and

  WHEREAS, Few women are warned about this infection, and according to
a federal survey, less  than  half  of  obstetrician-gynecologists  tell
pregnant patients how to avoid CMV; and

  WHEREAS,  It  is  imperative that women are educated about the virus
itself and simple preventative measures, such as not sharing  food  with
toddlers,  and  washing  ones  hands after changing infants and toddlers
diapers; and

  WHEREAS, A test for CMV can be done immediately upon  receiving  the
results  from  the  newborn  infant  hearing  screening, which typically
occurs at a facility before a newborn is discharged; and

  WHEREAS, Significantly, infants who receive a timely  diagnosis  can
be  given  hearing aids or access to early-intervention programs to have

the best chance of learning  to  talk;  recent  evidence  suggests  that
routine  screening  of  newborns could allow infected infants to receive
consistent monitoring and treatment if necessary, ultimately  increasing
his or her chance of optimized developmental care; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize  Governor  Andrew  M.  Cuomo  to  proclaim  June  2021,   as
Cytomegalovirus  Awareness  Month  in  the  State of New York; and be it
further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted  to  The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of
New York.