September is here, and with it, schools are back in session and fall is on our doorstep. While September is a month to raise awareness of many different health issues, one of the most important to recognize in September is Newborn Screening Awareness Month.

Newborn screening is a process that has been actively utilized for more than 50 years to help identify, diagnose and treat certain disorders in newborns. The first test was developed in the 1960s for phenylketonuria, or PKU. The same doctor who created the PKU test also developed a system for collection and transportation of blood samples, making the newborn test viable for widespread use and opening the door for other types of screenings.

As we have traveled down the road of medical advancements, many more tests have been added to Missouri’s newborn screening services. As of Dec. 31, 2008, Missouri tests for a number of conditions that not every state requires, like amino acid disorders, endocrine disorders, and fatty acid oxidation disorders. These tests are all a part of the Newborn Blood Spot Screening Program, which utilizes the heel prick method developed in the 1960s. If a child is found to have an abnormal screening result, the State Public Health Library will contact the parents for potential follow-up procedures. In some cases, follow up is merely retesting in six months to a year. In other situations, immediate intervention can help save a child’s life, or greatly improve the quality of life.

In 2002, a state law took effect, putting in place the Missouri Newborn Hearing Screening Program. This program helps identify children with hearing loss before they reach six months of age, enabling parents and caregivers to have the advantage when it comes to teaching language and communication to children with hearing loss. According to the Heartland Regional Genetics and Newborn Screening Collaborative, which includes Missouri, 98.2 percent of babies were tested for hearing in 2006.

Preventative care is the goal of collaborative newborn screening. By checking children for these disorders and diseases, both children and parents are given the opportunity to address concerns early.

For more information on newborn screenings, or on further state health topics, please visit the Department of Health and Senior Services at www.dhss.mo.gov. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

As always, please feel free to contact me or my staff with any questions or concerns at any time. We look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions and trying to answer any questions you may have. You can reach us by phone at 866-277-0882 (toll-free) or 573-751-2272, or by fax at 573-526-7381.