DHEC announces Expansion of Newborn Screening Program

On Thursday, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control announced plans to expand the agency’s Newborn Screening program, which tests every newborn for difficult to diagnose metabolic disorders that disrupt the body’s natural processes. The panel of tests will include a new test for Severe Combined Immunodeficiency, a rare and potentially fatal disorder characterized by an inability to fight infections. Newborns with SCID, lack the white blood cells that fight infections caused by viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Early diagnosis, made possible by newborn screening, can reduce hospitalizations and improve health outcomes. South Carolina will join 19 other states that currently test for SCID. DHEC is working with a number of partners and advocates, including children’s hospitals, the March of Dimes, and the South Carolina Hospital Association to incorporate SCID testing.