State Senator Jonathan A. Harris
April 30, 2009
Harris Welcomes Senate Passage of Cystic Fibrosis Screening Bill
Disorder affects one in every 3,500 births; new test aids early treatment
State Senator Jonathan A. Harris (D-West Hartford), the Senate Chairman of the Human Services Committee, today hailed the Senate passage of a measure which requires all health care institutions caring for newborn infants to test them for cystic fibrosis, unless their parents object on religious grounds.
House Bill 6263 requires that the testing be done as soon as is ‘medically appropriate.’ Early identification of cystic fibrosis allows parents to get education, referral for specialized help, and to start early treatment for their infant in order to minimize nutritional problems and lung damage.
“We talk about caring for people and lowering the cost of health care. This bill does both,” Sen. Harris said. “With early detection, we will improve the child’s development, avoid infections, and lower the cost of treatment. We can extend the lives and the quality of life of children who suffer from cystic fibrosis.”
HB 6263 passed the Senate today “on consent”; it passed unanimously in the House of Representatives on March 25 and now heads to the governor. If the bill is signed into law, it would take effect October 1, 2009.
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disorder that occurs in one in every 3,500 live births. It causes the body to produce abnormally thick secretions that clog the lungs, causing infections; obstruct the pancreas, preventing enzymes from breaking down food in the intestines; and block the bile duct, leading to liver damage. Treatment can include digestive enzyme replacement, antibiotics, and careful monitoring.
Most Connecticut birthing hospitals currently offer newborn cystic fibrosis screening on a voluntary basis. John Dempsey and Yale-New Haven hospitals conduct the actual testing.
State law already requires newborn testing for HIV, phenylketonuria and other metabolic diseases, hypothyroidism, galactosemia, sickle cell disease, maple syrup urine disease, homocystinuria, biotinidase deficiency, and congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
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