House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

It’s one of the best moments you’ll experience when you finally hear it – your baby’s first cry. Your newborn is perfect, just as you pictured, and looks completely healthy. Sadly, sometimes a baby that looks completely healthy, isn’t. That is why Pennsylvania conducts newborn screening.

Named one of the Top 10 Great Public Health Achievements by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), newborn screening is the practice of screening every baby born for certain harmful or potentially fatal conditions that are not otherwise apparent at birth. Pennsylvania’s newborn screening program began in 1965 with testing for one disease. Now, the newborn screening program within the Department of Health either screens or provides follow up services for 35 diseases, provides newborn hearing screening and tests for critical congenital heart disease.

Because newborn screening saves lives, I ask that you join me in designating September 2019 as “Newborn Screening Awareness Month” in Pennsylvania. Together we can raise awareness on the important role newborn screening plays in identifying treatable diseases. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact my Harrisburg office at 717-705-1925.