Thursday, June 16, 2005
Contact: Jessica Robinson, (573)751-0290
Blunt Announces Improved Newborn Screening Program
JEFFERSON CITY—Gov. Matt Blunt announced today that beginning July 1 Missouri’s newborn screening program will increase the number of conditions it screens for from five to 27 and will bring the benefits of early intervention to even more Missourians.
"This is excellent news for Missouri parents, families and taxpayers," Blunt said. "Expanded screening will not only save lives but will also result in significant savings in education, healthcare and long-term disability costs by detecting and treating disorders as early as possible."
Newborn screening makes it possible to detect disorders early enough to treat and prevent severe medical complications which can result in disabilities and, in some cases, infant deaths. About 90 of 75,000 newborns in Missouri are confirmed to have one of the five diseases currently screened each year. As a result of the expansion, an estimated 10 to 15 additional infants each year will be identified and will benefit from early intervention and medical care.
A Congressional study found that for each child detected to have either phenylketonuria (PKU) or congenital hypothyroidism, the annual savings was $93,000. Applying this study’s findings to Missouri for the past three years (2002-2004), the projected health care savings for these two conditions alone was almost $9.5 million.
Julie Eckstein, director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said the expansion announced today propels Missouri to the national forefront in the area of newborn screening. She explained the new screening process will utilize a sensitive technology called tandem mass spectrometry.
According to Eckstein, the federal government, the American College of Medical Genetics, the March of Dimes, the American Academy of Pediatrics and other national organizations, as well as the Missouri Genetic Advisory Committee, recommend increased newborn screenings.