2027 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 22-24, 2027 • Bellevue, WA
3/17/2026 | 1:45 PM - 2:15 PM | Hearing Outcomes in Children Affected by Congenital Cytomegalovirus in Utah | Clearwater
Hearing Outcomes in Children Affected by Congenital Cytomegalovirus in Utah
Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) is the leading non-genetic cause of hearing loss in infants and children, accounting for approximately 25% of pediatric hearing differences. Because of cCMV’s close relationship to hearing loss, Utah has mandated cCMV testing on infants failing newborn hearing screening (NBHS) since 2013. Utah’s Early Hearing Detection and Intervention CMV program has been tracking long-term outcomes, including hearing. In this presentation, NBHS and longitudinal hearing data will be shared for our cCMV infection, cCMV disease, and cCMV probable disease cases. Come learn how we classify cases and what our surveillance has discovered over the past 13 years!
- Describe the three cCMV surveillance case classifications
- Identify hearing outcomes by cCMV case severity
- Predict timing of hearing changes that can be seen with cCMV
Presentation:
View Presentation File
Handouts:
Handout is not Available
Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Max Sidesinger
(Co-Author), Utah Department of Health and Human Services, msidesinger@utah.gov;
Max Sidesinger, MPH, is the CMV data coordinator and an epidemiologist for Utah’s Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program. He collects information on every CMV test completed on a child under 1 year of age in Utah, per the state Communicable Disease Rule, and works with providers and families to ensure CMV testing for children who fall under Utah's CMV Public Education and Testing Mandate. Max provides analyses for both CMV and EHDI related data. He has collaborated with researchers at the University of Utah on multiple newborn hearing-related projects, with the CDC on a pilot surveillance project for cCMV, and with the CSTE on a position statement for standardized cCMV surveillance. Max received his BS in biology and Masters in public health from the University of Utah. His career interest is in using epidemiological methods to address public health needs.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
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AAA DISCLOSURE:
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Jacinda Merrill
(Co-Author), Utah Department of Health and Human Services, jamerrill@utah.gov;
Jacinda Merrill, MPH, CHES, is the CMV epidemiologist for the Utah Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program. She abstracts data from electronic health records of children who have tested positive for CMV within the first year of life. Jacinda enters health data, including CMV test results, newborn hearing screening results, and other relevant data on cCMV cases into Utah’s Congenital CMV Registry. She performs analysis on confirmed and probable cCMV cases. Jacinda’s position is part of a pilot surveillance project for cCMV in collaboration with the CDC. She received her BS in Public Health with an emphasis in Health Promotion, along with a Masters in Public Health from Brigham Young University. Jacinda’s career interests include using best practices in data analysis and communicating that data in audience-appropriate ways to positively impact public health.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
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AAA DISCLOSURE:
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Stephanie Browning McVicar
(Primary Presenter,Author), Utah Department of Health and Human Services, smcvicar@utah.gov;
Dr. Stephanie Browning McVicar is the Director of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program, the Children’s Hearing Aid Program, and the Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Public Health Initiative in Utah. She works for the Utah Department of Health and Human Services' Children with Special Health Care Needs Office in Salt Lake City. Dr. McVicar is a pediatric audiologist, an advocate for CMV testing in newborns, and passionate about the prevention of congenital CMV infection. She was instrumental in the creation of the Utah EHDI tele-audiology program. She is originally from Western New York and has extensive experience and knowledge in Audiology and the management of health care programs in both the public and private sectors.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
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• Receives Salary for Employment from eawr er.
Nonfinancial -
• Has a Personal,Professional
relationship for Volunteer employment.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
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Financial relationship with adfa.
Nature: adsf.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.