The Science and Politics of Screening Newborns

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Abstract
A major accomplishment of the public health system has been the development of programs of screening newborns for inherited and congenital metabolic disorders. This effort began in response to the observation that severe mental retardation associated with phenylketonuria could be prevented by the early initiation of a diet low in phenylalanine in affected newborns.1 As a result, universal systems of care were put into place for screening and tracking newborns. When evidence supported benefits from the early detection of and intervention for other disorders, screening tests for these disorders were readily added to the existing systems, resulting in broad access . . .