"I was shocked, I'd never heard about a virus causing this and neither had anyone," she says.
It's a stunning but little known fact that cytomegalovirus or CMV is the most common cause of congenital defects in babies in developed countries.
Over 1,800 babies born every year in Australia are infected and around 440 are left deaf, vision impaired, with mental retardation or developmental problems by the virus.
The virus has also been linked to stillbirth with one study finding CMV in around 15 per cent of stillborn babies.
Although women are warned not to eat soft cheese, drink alcohol and to have their German measles antibodies tested while pregnant, few are warned about CMV - even though doctors have known about it for over 20 years.
Associate Professor Catherine Birman from the Cochlear Implant Centre says blood bank testing shows around 50 per cent of the population have had CMV at some time.
"For most of us it is just a bit of a cold but it can harm the fetus at any stage in pregnancy," she says.
Kate Daly, who runs the Congenital CMV Association of Australia, says the first time most people hear about the virus is when they are dealing with its consequences.
The Sydney mum heard of the virus for the first time when her newborn son William, a twin to Emmaline, was diagnosed with deafness.
Although both twins tested positive for the virus only William was affected by deafness, language problems, gross motor skill delay and cognitive delay.
Both William and Adam were given cochlear implants in their first year of life.
Adam, now aged two, is speaking both English and Arabic but William has language delay problems.
Associate Professor Steve Robson, the Vice President of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, says the college has a policy that recommends against screening for the virus during pregnancy.
"The risk you always run is scaring people and having people going to the doctor every time they have a cold," he says.
And he says while doctors don't always warn women about the risk of CMV they should tell their patients to consult a medico if they have a fever, infection or a chill while pregnant.
Ms Daly, who wants better information for pregnant women, says obstetricians are "treating us like we're in the 1950s".
"It's their job to inform us, they need to catch up," she says.
Experts are pushing for testing of all newborns for CMV so that early treatment can be given to those who develop deafness and other problems from the virus and give them a better chance in life.
