The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is promoting Newborn Screening Awareness this month to help new and expecting parents appreciate the importance of the tests.
KDHE newborn screening coordinator Linda Williams said that virtually every baby is already initially screened at the hospital before the parents can take the baby home — only a very small number opt out for religious reasons, she said.
However, she said, new parents are bombarded by information upon having a baby, and may not fully appreciate the importance of following up on the initial screening.
“So if they need to have a repeat screen done or further testing, it’s very important that they follow up with that. The last thing we want is a child who is not properly diagnosed and then has medical problems further down the road,” Williams said.
She said her office is trying to get brochures to expecting mothers through doctors’ offices and prenatal classes, for example.
Some diseases — if left untreated early — they can cause severe illness, mental retardation or in some cases death. Hospitals test for these diseases about 24 hours after birth by taking a small sample of blood. The blood is screened for 29 conditions, including phenylketonuria, galactosemia, hypothyroidism and sickle cell anemia.
If the test is abnormal, re-testing must be done, followed by immediate treatment if a diagnosis is confirmed.
“In fiscal year 2011, 67 infants were diagnosed with a disorder and received early medical intervention because of this program,” said KDHE secretary Robert Moser. “These infants may now live full and productive lives due to early intervention and treatment. Just one blood-spot can save an infant’s life.”