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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC— RTI International, a nonprofit research institute, collaborated with the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health (NCSLPH) to publish North Carolina Medical Journal’s special January-February issue focused on newborn screening. RTI Distinguished Fellow Don Bailey, PhD and Scott Zimmerman, DrPH, MPH, Director of the NCSLPH, co-edited and contributed articles to the issue, which is devoted to the challenges that newborn screening will face and the opportunities it presents to advance the health of newborns.
“Newborn screening has the potential to save and improve the quality of lives of thousands of children in the United States,” said Dr. Bailey. “In a field so full of promise with rapid advances in technology and treatments, this issue takes the important step of acknowledging the potential ethical challenges and costs associated with these screenings, while also identifying areas where more research is needed to make effective and responsible decisions.”
The issue covers a wide range of topics related to newborn screening like the role of genetic counselors; the role of technology; policy decisions to consider; lessons learned from previous newborn screening studies; and North Carolina’s history and successes in newborn screening.
Dr. Bailey also co-authored an article with fellow RTI researcher, Dr. Lisa Gehtland, MD, detailing the importance of partnerships for Early Check. This is a new research study, led by RTI International and a group of partners including NC TraCS/UNC, offering voluntary screening for an extra set of disorders for every baby born in North Carolina.
