Posted 2:13 am Saturday, December 05, 2009
Texas Babies Now Screened For Cystic Fibrosis At Birth
By COSHANDRA DILLARD
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Beginning this week, a screening for another disorder was added to the list of illnesses that Texas babies must be tested for as required by state law. Earlier this year, legislators approved funding to add cystic fibrosis to the list of 27 other diseases that are screened in newborns hours following their birth.
Texas is among a few states that have two rounds of newborn screenings. The first "heel stick" is conducted 24 to 48 hours after birth and another follows one to two weeks later.
Dr. Kari A. Casas, a clinical and biochemical geneticist at Trinity Clinic Genetics said the new screening is vital because the cystic fibrosis takes years off of a person's life.
"Traditionally, the way they were diagnosed is that they waited for symptoms to happen," she said. "Cystic fibrosis occurs roughly in one in 4,500 babies born in Texas. About 90 Texas babies are born with it each year."
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease that causes sticky, thick mucus to build up in the lungs and digestive system.
"It causes them to be susceptible to lung infections and there is a poor secretion in the lungs which means they can't cough up the germs in the mucus effectively," Dr. Casas said.
"The median age of survival has been around 37. Hopefully, with this new generation of babies, we will see that increased into the 40s or 50s or older. Who knows?"
Testing is done by taking a blood sample from a baby's heel. Early detection of any of the 28 disorders can prevent complications including growth problems, development delays, deafness, blindness, intellectual disabilities, seizures and early death.
In Texas, newborn screening services became mandatory in 1965. Today, the state screens more than 800,000 newborns annually.
