STATEHOUSE (Jan. 25, 2022) – The Indiana House of Representatives unanimously voted today in support of State Rep. Brad Barrett's (R-Richmond) legislation focused on safeguarding Hoosier newborns by streamlining the state's medical screening process, sending the bill to the Senate for consideration.
Every newborn in Indiana is screened for over 50 health disorders prior to leaving the hospital or within five days of a home birth. Currently, adding a new screening for newborns requires legislative action, which Barrett said can add unnecessary delays to the process.
"These screenings are very important, and the medical field is continuously making new discoveries about disorders, how to test for disorders and how to treat disorders," Barrett said. "We need to be able to keep up with these advancements and act quickly to save lives and help families start treatment."
Under Barrett's bill, a panel of medical experts would vet and add screenings to the state's list, which could speed up response times and potentially save lives. According to Barrett, screenings are important because many medical disorders are hard to detect, and early treatment of these conditions can make all the difference in the long-term health outcomes of each baby. Some conditions newborns are currently screened for include sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis and hearing loss.
"This legislation would help ensure the state can act more quickly when new disorders are identified for testing, and add those screenings to the list so newborns can receive treatment as soon as possible," Barrett said. "I look forward to working with my Senate colleagues to make sure we get this bill over the finish line."
Barrett said if House Bill 1254 is passed into law, every disorder added by the panel of medical experts 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. Visit in.gov/health/gnbs to learn more.
To watch legislative proceedings, 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.
