(KNSI) – In an attempt to thwart expecting parents’ worst nightmare, babies born in Minnesota are now getting tested for two rare diseases that can have crippling effects on a child’s life.
The Minnesota Department of Health’s Newborn Screening Program is checking for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and guanidinoacetate methyltransferase deficiency. According to the MDH, finding the diseases early is the key to slowing their progression and improving their quality of life.
DMD causes muscle breakdown and affects the legs and arms first and eventually the respiratory system. If not caught at birth, symptoms of DMD can go unrecognized until around age five. The MDH says at that point, the child has already suffered severe irreparable damage. Minnesota averages around nine newborns a year needing treatment. There is no cure for DMD.
GAMT deficiency is a lifelong metabolic disorder causing a toxic buildup that, if left untreated, results in brain and muscle problems. Symptoms appear between the ages of one and three and include late sitting, walking, speaking and growth. Based on Minnesota’s birth rate and the rareness of the disorder, no more than one child a year is expected to be diagnosed.
Since 1964, blood samples from all Minnesota newborns have been sent to MDH’s Public Health Lab for screening unless their parents opt out. Today, babies are tested for nearly 60 different potential disorders.
Statewide testing for DMD and GAMT began on February 24th. For more on the program, click here.
___
Copyright 2025 Leighton Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be broadcast, published, redistributed, or rewritten, in any way without consent.
FOLLOW US FOR INSTANT UPDATES!
FOLLOW US FOR INSTANT UPDATES!