Screening Hoosier Babies For life-Threatening Disease
by Wendy McNamara
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Early detection is critical to treating many diseases. Under legislation I supported, newborn babies would be screened for the rare genetic disease, Adrenoleukodystrophy.
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Adrenoleukodystrophy, or ALD, is a deadly disease that causes irreversible damage to the brain and leads to behavioral and neurological issues. ALD affects approximately 1 in 17,000 people and without early testing, families often don’t learn their child has the disease until it has progressed too far. By catching and treating ALD early, Hoosier babies will have a greater chance to live long and healthy lives. Indiana’s newborn screening panel already tests for over 50 other conditions, such as sickle cell anemia and critical congenital heart disease. If signed into law, Indiana’s newborn screening panel would include every test on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ recommended newborn screening panel. |
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