A Battery of Baby Tests
According to a report card released by the March of Dimes last week, only five states and the District of Columbia now routinely screen newborns for 29 rare but treatable conditions, from impaired hearing to hypothyroidism. Many of the conditions are life threatening if not caught early, but they can be successfully handled through diet or medication. The tests, which are recommended by the American College of Medical Genetics, are fast and easy to administer: All but the hearing screen, in fact, can be accomplished by taking just a few drops of blood from the baby's heel. Iowa, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia test for all 29 conditions; overall, the proportion of babies getting at least 20 of the tests jumped from 38 percent to 64 percent in the past year. "States are really moving in the right direction here," says March of Dimes President Jennifer Howse. She recommends that expectant parents find out which tests are done at hospitals in their state; a full screening can be arranged with an outside laboratory. The extra cost, she says, shouldn't be more than $100.
This story appears in the July 24, 2006 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.