Manitoba families will now receive earlier answers about a little-known infection that can quietly affect a child’s development after the province expanded its newborn screening program to include congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV).
The province launched universal screening in December 2025, and more than 1,500 newborns have already been tested.
“When you bring a baby into the world, you have to trust the health-care system is doing everything possible to protect your child from day one,” Premier Wab Kinew said during the announcement. “Families are receiving answers sooner, clinicians have critical information earlier, and there are more opportunities to intervene when that intervention can mean all the difference.”
Congenital CMV is a common virus passed from mother to baby during pregnancy. It affects roughly one in 200 births and is among the leading infectious causes of permanent hearing loss and developmental disability in children.
Health officials say pregnant people can lower the risk of CMV infection through simple hygiene precautions, including washing hands after contact with young children’s saliva or diapers, avoiding sharing food or utensils, and not kissing toddlers on the lips. The virus commonly spreads through contact with bodily fluids from young children, who often show no symptoms.
“Without screening, families may not know something is wrong until months or even years later, when hearing loss or developmental delays appear,” Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said. “Universal screening closes a gap that has existed for far too long.”
The test is performed using the same heel-prick blood sample already collected from newborns and analyzed at Cadham Provincial Laboratory.
“If we can identify babies early, we can treat them early, and that leads to better outcomes. That’s why screening at birth matters — it can change a child’s future,” said Rob Tétrault, president and co-founder of the Canadian CMV Foundation.
“There is no risk to the child whatsoever — just a few drops of blood,” Tétrault added.
Tétrault began advocating for screening nearly 18 years ago after his son Alex was born with CMV and diagnosed only because of an unrelated prenatal concern.
“Had that random occurrence not happened, I hate to think what would have happened,” he said. “I meet families all the time whose outcomes aren’t as positive. We knew we had to change this.”
Early treatment must happen quickly, he added.
“You have a very small window — usually the first month of life — where antiviral treatment can dramatically reduce hearing loss and cognitive impacts,” Tétrault said.
He called Manitoba’s adoption of universal screening a milestone after years of advocacy.
“I sent my first advocacy emails about 10 years ago,” he said. “To finally see this in place means kids will have better outcomes, and parents will have less uncertainty. That brings me a lot of joy.”
Alex Tétrault, now a young adult, said he’s glad other children will benefit.
“I’m very happy more children are going to get treated,” he said. “After all this time, it finally happened.”
The province estimates the program costs about $1.3 million and says it plans to continue tracking outcomes and ensuring families have access to follow-up care and supports.
Officials say the goal is simple — identify infections early rather than after permanent complications develop.
“This comes from listening to parents, advocates and clinicians,” Asagwara said. “Earlier answers really do change outcomes.”
