DODD APPLAUDS HHS ADAPTATION OF NEWBORN SCREENING GUIDELINES
Preiss, Allison (Dodd)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 24, 2010
CONTACT: Bryan DeAngelis
DODD APPLAUDS hhs adaptation of NEWBORN SCREENING GUIDELINES
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) released the following statement today after the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it would adopt new guidelines regarding the screening of newborn children. These guidelines are consistent with the recommendations of the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children (SACHDNC).
Dodd and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) are the authors of the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act, which Dodd first introduced in 2002 and was signed into law in 2008. This law called on the HHS Secretary to adopt or reject the recommendations of the SACHDNC, reauthorized and expanded the role of the SACHDNC, and provided grants to states to help them expand and improve their newborn screening programs to meet the federal guidelines. The law also aimed to educate parents and health care providers about newborn health screening and improve follow-up care for infants with an illness detected through newborn screening.
“Protecting the health of our most vulnerable citizens—our children—must be one of our top priorities. Newborn screening standards vary from state to state, but these federal guidelines will now encourage all states to test for 30 core conditions in newborns,” said Dodd. “Screening and diagnosing these disorders early on will help ensure that all infants receive the care and treatment they need to lead healthy and full lives. I look forward to the continued partnership between HHS and the states to enact these new federal guidelines.”
The Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children (SACHDNC) advised that HHS adopt the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel as a national screening standard for newborns, which includes testing for 30 core conditions, including cystic fibrosis, hearing loss, and sickle cell anemia.
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