Does the March of Dimes fund research and other programs on newborn screening?
The March of Dimes has long supported research, professional and consumer education, and advocacy related to newborn screening. In the 1960s, a March of Dimes grantee developed the first PKU screening test. Other grantees developed screening tests for biotinidase deficiency and congenital adrenal hyperplasia and contributed to the development of testing for hypothyroidism. The March of Dimes also funds research aimed at improving the treatment of children with a number of the screened disorders. For many years, the March of Dimes has worked to expand and improve newborn screening programs through its advocacy efforts. For example, the March of Dimes was instrumental in the passage of of the 2008 Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act. The law lays the groundwork to establish national guidelines that will specify the conditions for which testing should be done and authorizes funding for states to strengthen their existing programs. References • Overview of the NBS Programs: States of the Sta