The
Illinois Department of Public Health Adds a Test to Newborn
Screening
All newborns in Illinois will now be
tested for severe combined immunodeficiency
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[June 18, 2014] SPRINGFIELD
– Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Director Dr. LaMar
Hasbrouck today announced that IDPH is now testing all babies born
in Illinois hospitals for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID)
and other immunodeficiencies. SCID is an inherited disorder, which
causes improper development of white blood cells that are the
primary defense against viruses, bacteria and fungal infections.
People with SCID are very susceptible to recurrent infections and
may develop pneumonia, meningitis or other complications.
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“Babies born with SCID appear healthy, but cannot fight
infection. Without medical treatment, babies diagnosed with SCID may
die before reaching a year old,” said Dr. Hasbrouck. “However, if a
newborn is diagnosed with SCID, they can be treated with a stem
cell/bone marrow transplant. By catching this genetic disorder
early, we hope to be able to save lives and prevent suffering and
future medical complications for babies diagnosed with SCID.”
Illinois becomes the 18th state to test for SCID. With the addition
of SCID, Illinois now tests newborns for 40 disorders. Later this
year, IDPH will begin testing for six lysosomal storage disorders –
Fabry, Gaucher, Krabbe, MPS 1 (Hurler Syndrome), Niemann-Pick and
Pompe.
Each year, IDPH labs test about 160,000 newborns with
approximately 18,000 abnormal test results, of which 350 are
diagnosed with a disorder.
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Visit
www.idph.state.il.us/HealthWellness/genetics.htm for
more information.
[Text received; ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT
OF PUBLIC HEALTH]
IDPH continues to implement
its
Five Year Strategy 2014-2018 to maximize IDPH’s effectiveness,
influence and value for promoting wellness, health equity, safety
and improved health outcomes. Strategic plan priorities include
developing and expanding partnerships; improving data utilization;
reducing health disparities; improving regulatory compliance; and
branding, marketing and communicating IDPH’s value.
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