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WASHINGTON (AP) - Good news for the nation's babies: Nearly 90 percent of newborns are getting tested for a host of rare but devastating genetic disorders. Since 2004, specialists have urged that every U.S. newborn be checked for 29 conditions, to detect the few thousand who will need early treatment to avoid death, retardation or other serious problems.
The federal government hasn't issued national screening guidelines, but more states are following the advice on their own. As of June 1, 40 states required testing for more than 20 of those disorders, says a March of Dimes report issued Wednesday.
Topping the list, 13 states plus Washington, D.C., required testing of every newborn for the entire list of 29 conditions, which range from sickle cell anemia and cystic fibrosis to lesser known diseases such as the metabolic disorder LCHAD.
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