Many Newborns Not Getting Vital Tests
Two-thirds of babies born in the United States are going
without blood tests for diseases that can kill them or leave them severely
mentally retarded. That is because only 21 states, mostly smaller ones, mandate
the 9 newborn screening
tests that can detect the diseases in time.
This sad state of affairs continues despite the passage in 2000 of the
Children's Health Act, which earmarked federal money to help states pay for what
are considered vital tests.
Comment: This is the type of health matter that needs to be mandated
on a national level rather than wait for 50 state legislatures to get around to
passing the same law, if they ever do. Why should a child born in one state
rather than another have to suffer a lifelong handicap or die? We have a
national standard of care. We should have national health standards.
Barbara K. Hecht,
Ph.D.
Frederick Hecht, M.D.
Medical Editors, MedicineNet.com
Related Links
Only 21 States Offer Core Newborn Screening Tests; Most Still Fall Short
of March of Dimes Recommendations
Some Screening Programs Sit Idle for Lack of Funding, Threatening the Health
of Babies
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., JUNE 30, 2004 - Seventy percent of babies in the U.S.
are born in states that still fail to carry out the nine core newborn screening
tests recommended by the March of Dimes, according to the non-profit's 2004
state-by-state report card on newborn screening.
The March of Dimes is the first national health organization to recommend
that every baby born in the U.S. receive, at a minimum, screening for the same
core group of nine metabolic disorders as well as
hearing deficiency. All of
these metabolic disorders can be successfully managed or treated to prevent
severe consequences, if diagnosed early.
Few parents realize that the extent of newborn testing
depends entirely on the state in which their baby is born. For infants affected
with these nine metabolic disorders, the tests can mean the difference between
life and death,
the March of Dimes says. The March of Dimes encourages states to add more
screening tests as resources and capabilities allow.
"The number of screened disorders continues to vary
greatly by state. Here we have a simple and inexpensive solution to a
potentially devastating problem, and it's time for all states to make newborn
screening a top priority," says Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of
Dimes and a member of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Secretary's Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders and Genetic Diseases in Newborns and Children.
"Our state chapters and their partners have been working
closely with governors, state legislators, and health departments to increase
access to these
important tests," Dr. Howse says. "I'm encouraged to report today that
since this time last year, the number of states that test for the nine core
metabolic disorders has risen from nine to 21."
Currently, the following 21 states screen for the March of Dimes-recommended
list of metabolic disorders: Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nevada, New York,
North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington,
and Wisconsin. These states account for about 1.3 million of the approximately 4
million live births each year in the U.S. "This means that only about 32
percent of babies are born in states that carry out the recommended screening,"
Dr. Howse says.
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