Issues in State Newborn Screening Programs

These are heady times for newborn screening. Articles in the medical literature and speakers at grand rounds urge us to test babies for disorders, including cystic fibrosis,1 biotinidase deficiency,2 and medium-chain acyl coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency.3 States are expanding the batteries of tests they perform. My own state of Tennessee just began testing neonates for galactosemia this year. And this is no doubt just the beginning. New techniques are being developed that will make it possible to look for a host of genetic characteristics using microscopic amounts of blood. We soon may be able to discern many conditions and characteristics of our children.