For Immediate Release:
April 17, 2008

Contact:
Nanci Gonder
Office Of Public Information
(573) 751-6062

Missouri Hosts Eight-State Workshop on Newborn Screening: States Prepare for Emergencies, Share Plans for Expansion

Jefferson City -- The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services today began hosting a two-day workshop with neighboring states to prepare the states for back-up newborn testing in case of emergencies and share ideas for improving testing and follow-up. The workshop is taking place at Missouri’s new state-of-the-art public health laboratory, which was officially opened last September.

“In the past three years, we have significantly expanded newborn-screening in Missouri and become a national leader in this important fight to protect our children,” Gov. Blunt said. “Newborn screening saves lives and results in significant savings in education, health care and long-term disability costs by detecting and treating disorders as early as possible. We are committed to the health and wellness of our youngest Missourians and will continue to do all we can to protect them.”

Under Gov. Blunt’s leadership, Missouri has improved from testing for five genetic disorders when he took office to testing for 28 now. Later this year the state will add testing for biotinidase deficiency, which will mean that Missouri will be testing for all 29 disorders recommended by the American College of Medical Genetics and the March of Dimes.

“Newborn screening saves and improves the lives of children, and Missouri continues to excel in providing fast and accurate testing,” said Jane Drummond, director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

Drummond said the State Public Health Laboratory tests about 80,000 newborns each year for genetic disorders. So far this year, the laboratory has found 30 newborns with genetic disorders that can be addressed.

Workshop participants heard from a mother whose child was found by Missouri’s newborn-screening program to have the genetic disorder, Isovaleric Acidemia, or IVA. The laboratory’s quick turn-around, running the test the same day they received the sample, allowed the family to be notified that day and the hospital to administer life-saving care and treatment.

States participating in the workshop, in addition to Missouri, are Iowa, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota. Missouri and Iowa recently held an exercise to plan for contingencies should one of the states’ newborn-testing programs be disrupted because of an emergency.