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New Disorder Added To List Of Conditions Babies Screened For In Granite State

Flicker/M&R Glasgow

As of July 1, all babies born in New Hampshire will be screened for a rare genetic disorder.

Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disorder, or SCID, is often called “the bubble boy disease.” Trish Tilley with the Department of Health and Human Services explains why.  

"This is when babies just really can’t fight off any infection," says Tilley. "It’s a very rare, inherited disorder."

In the first year of life, babies with SCID are highly susceptible to illness and infections that lead to death. But if identified in screenings – a practice most states are now on board with – SCID can be treated preemptively.

SCID is now added to a list of 33 other rare disorders babies are screened for in New Hampshire. The state says about 12,300 babies are screened for these conditions each year.

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Before joining NHPR in August 2014, Jack was a freelance writer and radio reporter. His work aired on NPR, BBC, Marketplace and 99% Invisible, and he wrote for the Christian Science Monitor and Northern Woodlands.
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