STATEHOUSE (Jan. 14, 2022) – The House Public Health Committee this week approved State Rep. Brad Barrett's (R-Richmond) legislation expanding protections for newborns, sending the legislation to the full House for consideration.
Barrett, a retired surgeon and chair of the House Public Health Committee, said that every newborn in Indiana is screened for over 50 health disorders prior to leaving the hospital or within five days of a home birth. The conditions that newborn screening looks for will often go undetected in babies, making it very difficult to diagnose early on and treat as soon as possible. Early treatment of these conditions can make all the difference in the long-term health outcomes of each baby.
Currently, adding a new screening for newborns requires legislative action which can add unnecessary delays. Under Barrett's bill, a panel of medical experts could vet and determine when to add screenings to the state's list, which could speed up response times and potentially save lives.
"Medical advancements can happen very quickly, and this panel will be able to take action sooner as opposed to waiting for the legislative process to play out," Barrett said. "We have made strides in curbing the state's infant mortality rate, but we have a long way to go. This bill could cut government red tape and allow medical experts to react more quickly – potentially saving more lives in the process."
Under the bill, Barrett said every disorder added by the committee would be evaluated annually. The Indiana Newborn Screening Program is a state-funded program within the Maternal and Child Health division at the Indiana Department of Health. To learn more, visit in.gov/health/gnbs.
The legislation is headed to the full House for consideration. For more information on House Bill 1254, visit iga.in.gov.
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State Rep. Brad Barrett (R-Richmond) represents House District 56,
which includes portions of Wayne County.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
