Screening newborns.

• Author: Howse, Jennifer L.
• Position: Letter to the editor

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Editor:

Alissa Johnson's insightful article "Screening Newborns: Just the Beginning" (State Legislatures April 2008) raised some critical issues regarding follow-up treatment for infants with positive screens. While legislative activities were referred to throughout, what was missing was any referral to the genesis of those activities, namely grassroots advocacy.

The reason nearly 90 percent of the babies in the U.S. are today screened for all, or nearly all, of the conditions recommended by the American College of Medical Genetics is due in large part to March of Dimes volunteers and staff working with legislators, parent groups, other nonprofit organizations and officials in state health departments across the country. As of this writing, 20 jurisdictions screen newborns for all 29 conditions recommended by the ACMG and another 23 states screen infants...