One Simple Test Can Save Your Baby's Life: Newborn Screening Experts Discuss What the CDC Has Called "One of the Ten Great Public Health Achievements of this Century"

BETHESDA, Md., May 23, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Newborn screening is a vital public health program and it's been called one of the most significant, lifesaving and important public health programs in the United States of the past 50 years.  

Newborn screening saves lives every day. Through early screening, diagnosis and treatment we can now prevent the truly dire consequences of a number of treatable conditions. With the current expansion of newborn screening panels nationwide, it is estimated that about 12,000 of the 4.1 million babies born each year in the United States will be identified with one of the conditions for which early treatment will have a significant impact on the child's life and long-term health.

Advances in technology have indeed made it possible, feasible and cost-effective to test newborns for a number of extremely serious, disabling or deadly conditions with a simple gathering of a drop or two of blood from the newborn's heel.

To hear "The Remarkable Public Health Program of Newborn Screening" broadcast, tune into "Life Love & Health: Special Edition" at 5PM Eastern on May 27, 2011 at www.healthradio.net.  On this program (America's most listened-to daily health, prevention and wellness program) –experts and a parent discuss how - with advances in medicine, it is now possible to diagnose, treat and even more importantly, actually PREVENT the negative outcomes of death and disability of these diseases.

The program will be available at a later date at both www.acmg.net and www.nccrcg.org and will in the coming weeks reach an audience of 3.1 million listeners on multiple traditional and New Media platforms, including Sirius XM Satellite Radio including CNN, Fox, ESPN and Bloomberg; selected Public Radio affiliates; plus HealthRadio.net, WomensRadio.com, RightHealth.com Internet radio; plus American Forces Network international.

In the program, Pediatrician Dr. Tracy Trotter states, "It's (newborn screening) giving all newborns a chance for a normal life...It can't be stated too, too strongly or too many times that this (newborn screening) gives us a chance to be proactive, be on the prevention side rather than reacting to crisis."

For this reason and many more, experts from the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) and many other organizations believe that all expectant parents should be versed in the nuances and more importantly, the lifesaving benefits of newborn screening.

About the American College of Medical Genetics and ACMG Foundation

Founded in 1991, the American College of Medical Genetics (www.acmg.net) is the national non-profit professional organization that advances the practice of medical genetics. The educational and public health programs of the American College of Medical Genetics are dependent upon grants and contracts and charitable gifts from corporations, foundations, and individuals. The American College of Medical Genetics Foundation (www.acmgfoundation.org) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to funding the College's diverse efforts to translate genes into health. The ACMG Foundation is dedicated to Better Health Through Genetics™.

About the HRSA Genetics Collaboratives (www.nccrcg.org)

The seven HRSA/MCHB-funded Genetics Collaboratives and their National Coordinating Center (NCC) are working to improve access to local genetic and newborn screening services, information, and resources for individuals and families with heritable disorders. A major component of the NCC/Genetics Collaboratives system involves using a variety of approaches to link primary care providers, geneticists and other specialist providers, and public health services into a comprehensive medical home that meets all the needs of individuals and families with heritable conditions. Activities at all levels engage consumers and families, with new opportunities for partnerships continually emerging. Its website is www.nccrcg.org. The NCC is funded by U22MC03957, awarded as a cooperative agreement between the Maternal and Child Health Bureau/Health Resources and Services Administration, Genetic Services Branch, and the American College of Medical Genetics.

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Michael S. Watson

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SOURCE American College of Medical Genetics