While progress was made last year on newborn screening and other policy issues critical to rare disease patients, a “State Report Card” argues that many concerns — notably out-of-pocket costs for prescription medicines and access to affordable comprehensive care — still need attention. Those were the findings of the…
newborn screening
It took one year for Dona Krystosek to get a diagnosis for her son, Levi, after he was born. The family received three misdiagnoses of fatal diseases until they found out Levi has Jansen’s metaphyseal chondrodysplasia — an extremely rare form of dwarfism. “The hardest…
As it does each September during Newborn Screening Awareness Month, Baby’s First Test is sharing information and stories that highlight efforts throughout the U.S. to bring attention to newborn testing. Baby’s First Test is a program of Expecting Health, an organization focused on pregnancy and newborn health. The…
European authorities must step up efforts to screen babies for a multitude of genetic disorders, a panel of experts suggested during a May 14-15 online medical conference. The session was part of the 10th European Conference on Rare Diseases & Orphan Products (ECRD2020) — which was to have occurred…
The discovery of a new combination of mutations causing infantile-onset Pompe disease, described in a case report, highlights the importance of screening for early detection of the rare genetic disorder. A sensitive and inexpensive screening system could improve the prognosis of infants with Pompe disease (PD), the researchers…
Across the U.S., 20 states are now screening newborns for Pompe, the most recent neuromuscular disease added to a list of serious genetic disorders for which infants can be tested shortly after birth, advocacy officers at the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) said. Washington is the latest to…
Newborn screening for lysosomal storage disorders, including Pompe disease, is much more likely to detect individuals at risk for late-onset disease, according to a four-fear analysis of data from a pilot newborn screening program. The study “The New York pilot newborn screening program for lysosomal storage diseases: Report of the…
Newborn screening seems better at identifying Pompe disease cases than a clinical examination, especially for classic infantile-onset Pompe disease, according to researchers. Their study, “Using Decision Analysis to Support Newborn Screening Policy Decisions: A Case Study for Pompe Disease,” was published in the journal Medical Decision Making Policy & Practice. Screening…
PerkinElmer announced that its in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) kit able to test newborns for the six most commonly screened lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The kit, the first commercialized using mass spectrometry instrumentation in the U.S., can screen for all six of…