After 50 Years, Newborn Screening Continues to Yield Public Health Gains

 

When researcher Robert Guthrie, MD, PhD (1916-1995), began developing a new screening test for phenylketonuria (PKU) in the late 1950s, prospects for children with the disorder were poor. There was evidence that a diet low in phenylalanine could improve outcomes for children with PKU, but most children were not being diagnosed as having the disorder in time to prevent irreversible damage. Read the full article here.