CHAM Launches Groundbreaking Newborn Screening Study
Children's Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) received $3 million from the National Institutes of Health to launch a unique newborn screening study called ScreenPlus, which is poised to become the largest consented, multidisorder pilot newborn screening program in the United States. "A person with a very rare disease often goes from doctor to doctor trying to find a diagnosis, and during that time, the disease is progressing," says Melissa Wasserstein, MD, Principal Investigator and Chief, Pediatric Genetic Medicine, CHAM. "If a newborn can be diagnosed at birth, parents can avoid the diagnostic odyssey and get their child into treatment early when it's most likely to help," she says.
ScreenPlus, which has a unique cost share model between NIH, rare disease advocacy groups and industry partners, will gather crucial evidence about the accuracy of newborn screening for 13 rare disorders and the impact on clinical outcomes. The study will also explore ethical issues associated with screening for these disorders.