Universal Newborn Screening Can Save Thousands of Babies From a Lifetime of Pain and Suffering

Most parents are not aware of Universal Newborn Screening, the testing procedure their infants should be recieving at birth to help prevent numerous diseases. Recent articles in EP, The Wall Street Journal and other publications point up the importance of making this inexpensive, efficient medical procedure part of every birth in America.

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Lori Ostrover
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Universal Newborn Screening
Can Save Thousands of Babies
From a Lifetime of Pain and Suffering

November 21, 2002

River Edge, NJ ---- A testing program for newborn infants is in place that can save thousands of babies from a lifetime of pain and suffering at less cost than current procedures. Yet, most parents are not aware of its availability and less than 10% of the nations 4 million newborns each year are tested in this fashion.
To remedy this situation, EP Magazines editor and publisher vowed today to expand their efforts to insure that the benefits of Universal Newborn Screening are made known to the parents of the nations 4 million newborns each year. The pledge came on the heels of a major story in the Wall Street Journal and others about to follow.

EP Magazine has been in the forefront of this effort for the past few years and has committed to make UNS one of its major initiatives in 2003.

Joseph M. Valenzano, Jr., President, CEO and Publisher of the nations oldest publication for parents and caregivers of children with disabilities pledged renewed efforts to make parents more aware of the benefits for their children of UNS. "We have had a long term commitment to UNS," Valenzano said, "and recent articles in the Wall Street Journal and other publications point up the importance of making this inexpensive, efficient medical procedure part of every birth in America."

Dr. Rick Rader, a physician and Editor-in-Chief of EP Magazine echoed Valenzanos pledge. "We believe it is possible to save thousands of babies from a lifetime of disabilities through UNS," Rader said. "The tests are there. The results are indisputable. There is no sound medical reason not to make these tests mandatory for all babies," he added.

UNS refers to a system known as Tandem Mass Spectrometry (TMS) testing available on the blood sample taken from every child under a federal health regulation. These tests are for inborn errors of metabolism which can result in irreversible mental retardation, complex physical disabilities and in some cases death
"From this sample, there is only a requirement to test for up to three or four. disorders, depending on the state, Rader said, "While tandem mass spectrometry can test for approximately up 50 such disorders at less cost and from the same sample of blood."

Valenzanos company funded a one-hour forty-five minute educational DVD on UNS last year that is available through several groups. The DVD discusses advantages of catching just a few of these disorders early in a babys life.

Valenzano said many disorders are treatable with diet while others require medication but ultimately these babies can lead normal productive life.
Rader has been working with the City of Chattanooga, TN to fund UNS for all babies born in that city through a special arrangement with Neo Gen Screening of Bridgeville, Pa.

"We are talking about a $25 fee per baby," Rader said. "$50 million to save all those babies. One missed early diagnoses, according to the Wall Street Journal, resulted in $500,000 in medical care in just the childs first six years.

Among the list of disorders that can be treated more easily and effectively through UNS are broken down into various categories. Amino Acid Disorders such as Citrullinemia, Homociystinuria, Maple syrup urine disease, Phenylketonuria (PKU), Fatty Acid Disorders, Endocrine Disorders, congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and Other disorders such as G6PD Deficiency.

EP Magazine in conjunction with the Child Neurology Society and Sigma-tau Pharmaceuticals has a monograph available to parents providing detailed information about each disorder (write: jvalenzano@eparent.com)