On Saturday with overwhelming bipartisan support, the Minnesota Senate passed the final Health and Human Service budget bill. Included in the bill is a provision authored by Senator Karin Housley (R-Stillwater), known as the “Vivian Act.” The passage of this education provision makes Minnesota the first state to universally screen all newborns for Cytomegalovirus (CMV).

CMV is the most common virus in the world, affecting more than half of all Americans by age 40 but is specifically dangerous for pregnant women that have the condition. To most healthy people, CMV is not serious, but when a pregnant mother contracts the virus, it infects the baby in utero and can lead to permanent disabilities such as vision loss, hearing loss, brain damage, and even death. If a mother currently has CMV, it can cause birth defects and brain damage in their children. 

The “Vivian Act” is named after Leah Henrikson’s daughter, Vivian, who was born with hearing loss and then diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy—both of which were traced back to CMV. With an early diagnosis and quick medical intervention, Vivian was able to receive the attention she needed. 

“It is so important that we protect infants by screening them for life-altering disorders like CMV, and with this bill passing, we are the first state in the country to pass newborn screening,” said Sen. Housley. “Newborn screening is critical because up to 90% of babies born with CMV are asymptomatic at birth, sometimes not even showing signs or symptoms for several years. This specific provision will help allow for early diagnosis, and it will help families and their infants—we will absolutely save lives. The importance of that cannot be stressed enough.”