Newborn screening law will give parents early disease detection in Alabama | Alabama [Video]

Parents could get critical information about their infant’s genetic conditions sooner. The Zachary Thomas Newborn Screen Act was signed into law. The law was written by a grassroots organization. One of the organizers has three children with a rare disease. They wanted to make sure those diseases were added to Alabama’s Screening Panel.  

Babies born in the state are not screened for all conditions included in the “United States Department of Human Services Recommended Uniform Screening Panel”. House bill 77 is now signed into law and it hopes to change that. Dr. Wes Stubberfield is the ADPH Medical Officer.

“The screening program started in the 1960s with one condition and it’s since expanded to many. Some conditions that are very common like sickle cell trait, cystic fibrosis,” said Stubberfield. 

The newborn screening program is administered by the Alabama Department of Public Health.

It tests blood for a variety of rare …