Health Watch: How Vermont screens newborns for disorders
WCAX
Each state in the U.S. has a committee that decides how many conditions a newborn is tested for in the first day or two of life. Alexandra Montgomery reports that while it might appear Vermont doesn’t test for as many conditions as other states, it’s actually on par with the rest of the country.
Adam Poulin works on the team that oversees the Newborn Screening Program in Vermont. It may be a part of his job, but it’s also been a part of his personal life. After his son was born, a blood sample raised a red flag
“There was a hypothyroidism that was detected,” Poulin explained. “A specialist who did further testing to confirm that our son needed a little bit of extra hormone to help with his early development.”
Poulin’s son is now off medicine and thriving, possibly a budding artist.