New law increases tests on newborns
Story by Kim Hynes, KWCH-TV
7:25 p.m. Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Just over a day old, Gracyn Deines doesn't know what she's in for.
She's being screened for rare genetic disorders like cystic fibrosis. Hospitals used to only test for four conditions. July first, a new state law increased the tests to 29.
"It really won't be any different than in the past. The test will be done the same way, the blood will still be drawn," pediatrician Dr. Phillip Cherven said.
It starts with a prick of the foot and a lot of crying. Gracyn isn't happy the nurse needs five blood samples.
"These are screening tests. If they get a positive result, it doesn't necessarily mean they have that disease, but further testing needs to be done to see if they have that condition or not," Cherven said.
Gracyn's proud papa says it's better to know now if there's a problem, but he still can't stand to watch his first born in pain.
"That was worse on dad than it was her, I'm not sure," new dad Scott Deines said. "It's not anything you want to hear, but if you need to, you want to hear about it sooner rather than later."
Once the baby's blood is taken, it's sent to a lab for screening. Kansas is one of the last states to increase genetic screening from four tests to 29.
"This is the recommended, the national standard," Cherven said.
So Kansas parents can know if their babies have a genetic disorder that needs treatment.
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