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Article: Screen test. (screening newborns for sickle cell disease)
- Article from:
- Pediatrics for Parents
- Article date:
- July 1, 1988
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1988 Pediatrics for Parents, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Screen Test Screening all newborns for sickle cell disease sounds like a good idea, but does it really make any difference in the long run? Intuitively it makes sense, but until recently, no one had really studied the benefits of this screening program.
The highest death rate from sickle cell disease occurs during the first five years of life, and the greatest risk occurs between 6 and 12 months of age. Often the first complication of sickle cell leads to the child's death. Early diagnosis and treatment of complications increase survival, so it would seem that early diagnosis, preferably in the newborn period, would lessen the suffering.
Almost 85,000 ...