Dec 16 (Reuters) - U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Tuesday added two rare genetic disorders, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Metachromatic Leukodystrophy, to the federal newborn screening list to enable early treatment, the Department of Health and Human Services said.
The decision updates the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP), which guides state-level newborn screening programs, following a scientific review and public comment process.
Early detection of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD) will allow children to receive FDA-approved therapies at the most effective time, helping slow disease progression and preserve quality of life, the HHS said.
DMD, a rare genetic disorder, causes muscle degeneration, while MLD affects the brain and nervous system, which leads to loss of motor and cognitive function and early death.
Most children with DMD or MLD are diagnosed at age four or five, when significant muscle loss or neurological decline has already occurred, the HHS said.
The agency said that screening at birth could reduce years-long diagnostic delays, repeated specialist visits, and the financial and emotional strain often associated with rare diseases.
(Reporting by Siddhi Mahatole in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)
LATEST POSTS
- 1
One spent $20 on candy. Another paid $700 for a custom costume. Here's how Halloween costs stacked up this year. - 2Astounding Treehouses All over the Planet
- 3Help Your Efficiency: 10 Authoritative Apparatuses to Attempt
- 4Affordable Care Act enrollment is slightly ahead of last year, despite expiring subsidies
- 5Hamas urges Hezbollah to kidnap Israeli soldiers in wake of Knesset passing death penalty bill
- Air Canada CEO To Resign After Backlash—Here’s Why Communication Skills Is Now A Leadership Requirement
- The Main 10 Natural life Protection Associations
- The most effective method to Involve Handshakes for Compromise and Compromise
- Tech Devices 2023: The Most blazing Arrivals of the Year
- Dark matter may be made of pieces of giant, exotic objects — and astronomers think they know how to look for them
- Boeing's troubled capsule won't carry astronauts on next space station flight
- Banks for High Fixed Store Rates: Amplify Your Reserve funds
- German inflation soars to 2.7% in March as Iran war drives up prices
- Belarusian parliament passes a bill to crack down on LGBTQ+ rights
