AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A Maine legislative committee has unanimously approved a proposal to provide testing for a virus that can threaten a baby’s health and hearing.
The proposal would require the state to test every infant born in Maine for cytomegalovirus if they fail two hearing tests. It also requires a test for CMV if the newborn shows other factors that indicate a strong possibility of the virus.
CMV is a common virus, and one out of every 200 babies is born with it. About one in five of those babies develops long-term health problems such as hearing loss, development delay, vision loss and seizures.
The proposal now moves on to the full Maine Legislature. The Committee on Health and Human Services unanimously approved it on Jan. 21.
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