NEWBORN SCREENING GETS A BOOST IN ONTARIO

Recent changes in legislation this Winter has Ontario now equal in newborn screening to some areas of the US. The new testing done for the Ontario Newborn Screening Program will now look for at least 27 rare disorders that can cause health problems in babies and children. These include:

• Metabolic disorders :
  When the body is not able to break down (metabolise) certain substances in food like fats, proteins or sugars, they can accumulate in the body and cause serious health problems.
• Endocrine disorders :
  The endocrine system, which is responsible for producing hormones, can sometimes produce too much or too little of some hormones, leading to sickness or developmental disabilities.
• Blood disorders :
  Oxygen is carried through the body in the hemoglobin found in red blood cells. If hemoglobin is not formed or not working properly, red blood cells break down, leading to health problems including severe anemia and serious infections.

For more information on these changes, visit the government website at

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/program/child/screening/screen_sum.html

Also, be sure to find out what is included in your own Province or territory in terms of newborn screening, and let us know! Also, we would like you to help develop a list of what some of the other tests children with CHARGE were given, and at what age.  Please submit these to info@chargesyndrome.ca