[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 114 (Friday, September 22, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1572]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                      UNIFORM TESTING FOR NEWBORNS

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                          HON. JOHN P. MURTHA

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 21, 2000

  Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Speaker, it's a distinct pleasure for me to join 
today with Congressman Pallone in introducing legislation to help 
achieve full screening of newborns for health disorders.
  Mothers are familiar with the ``heel and prick'' test, but few know 
how many diseases the hospital is testing. Many hospitals test for 2 or 
3, the March of Dimes recommends 8 disorders as a core group for 
uniform screening, but the technology exists to screen for more than 30 
life-altering conditions. There is no reason not to have full and 
uniform screening for the four million infants born nationwide every 
year. Right now, it's a piecemeal approach, with different states 
testing at different levels.
  Backed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the same drops of blood 
can provide full screening for disorders at the cost of about $25 a 
baby.
  This issue was first brought to my attention a couple months ago by a 
Mother from Somerset County in the area I represent. She points to 
specific families such as the New Mexico couple that had two infants 
die from VLCAD that weren't tested for the disorder; a Texas couple 
whose son has brain damage from GA1, not on the tested list; or my 
constituent's grandson who could have been brain damaged or dead 
because MCAD is not tested uniformly. Against the measure of these 
illnesses and the impact on infants and families, surely we can devote 
the $25 to full testing.
  Our bill would establish a grant system to be administered by the 
Department of Health and Human Services to help states and localities 
implement full testing.
  To me, one of the great overlooked issues in the health care debate 
is the 11 million children in our Nation with no health care insurance. 
No child should suffer because of a lack of health care, and no child 
and family should suffer because we don't commit to doing the full 
testing we can to head off debilitating diseases. Let's pass this 
legislation and make sure that newborns get the full screening they 
need and deserve.

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