| Governor Ernie Fletcher announced February 1, 2005 that he will provide funding in the budget to expand Kentucky's newborn screening program to the national standard set by the March of Dimes and the Department of Health and Human Services.
The funding will allow Kentucky to screen for 29 different disorders. The tests include 28 metabolic blood disorders and the universal hearing exam. Currently Kentucky tests its newborns for only four blood conditions.
The Tandem Mass Spectrometry is a new device that has enabled physicians to test a larger number of metabolic conditions on newborns. Early detection is so important and helps the diagnosis and treatment of children with these metabolic conditions. Early detection may prevent serious illness, disability, or even death. Thirty-eight states have expanded their programs through this new technology.
The expansion will cost an estimated $3.1 million this year. The money will come from different sources, including Tobacco Settlement funds and adjusted hospital fees.
These tests will save countless lives of children. This additional screening is expected to save the Commonwealth millions of dollars in neonatal care costs.
It is estimated that up to 5 percent of childhood deaths attributed to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) may have actually been caused by a treatable metabolic condition. Over two years (2001-2002), Kentucky lost 76 infants to SIDS.
Additionally, Governor Fletcher's plan calls for the Department for Public Health (DPH) to continue consulting with experts from the state's Newborn Screening Advisory Committee as it purchases the necessary equipment, recruits and trains public health staff, and educates hospital staff, physicians and the public about the expansion. DPH will continue to partner with the state's university medical centers to ensure definitive diagnosis, treatment and case management. |
