State to test infants for 5 more diseases
Thursday, August 19, 2004 - Page updated at 12:00 A.M.
By Julia Sommerfeld
Seattle Times staff reporter
STEVE RINGMAN / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Laurra Corsello of Seattle holds her 8-month-old daughter, Helena, who has galactosemia, a metabolic condition that occurs in about 1 in 50,000 babies. Hers is one of nine newborn diseases now automatically screened for in Washington.
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Department of Health Newborn Screening Program
March of Dimes, Washington chapter
Babies born in Washington are now being screened for a longer list of genetic disorders. After spending much of this year rolling out a battery of new blood tests, the state Department of Health announced yesterday that all newborns will automatically be screened for nine life-threatening conditions before they leave the hospital. In years past, newborns were screened for just four.
Each of the five new conditions is rare, has a tongue-twisting name — homocystinuria, for instance — and has potentially deadly or disabling consequences if left untreated.
Article from The Seattle Times