Newborn screening is a vital process for parents seeking to prevent their child from developing a permanent disorder. Many disorders are only treatable immediately after birth, yet they may not present themselves for years following the birth. It is important to screen newborns because if certain conditions are noted early on in life, their adult quality of life may be improved tenfold. The documentation from the newborn screening may also help if you are planning on advancing a premise liability or other sort of personal injury lawsuit for any birth defects in your child. Many disorders are caused by environmental factors, such as toxins in the air or an unsafe working environment. What Sorts of Disorders Are Screened? Ever since the initial finding in the late 1960s that an infant blood test could predict the onset of phenylketonuria, doctors have developed a number of newborn screening tests for many different disorders that otherwise wouldn't present themselves for several years. Commonly screened disorders include:

• Congenital hypothyroidism
• Lysosomal storage diseases
• Peroxisomal disorder
• Cystic fibrosis
• Sickle cell disease
• Congenital hearing loss
• MCAD (Medium-chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase) deficiency

These and over one hundred other disorders are tested for during newborn screening. What Should I Do if My Newborn's Screening is Positive? If your newborn screens positive for a particular birth defect, do your research and ask your doctor if it could have been picked up from environmental toxins. If so, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the parties responsible for the toxins. If you need to file a personal injury lawsuit on behalf of your injured newborn child, contact the law offices of Jason and Bradley. We will make the personal effort to provide you with everything you might need to know about serious injuries and illnesses caused by toxins. Contact us today for more information!