Newborn Screening for Sickle Cell Disease

Paper Summary:

The paper relates that while researchers and the medical field are very concerned about this disease, nurses, other health providers and governments, Ontario's in particular, are not aware of the nature of sickle cell disease. The paper explains the factors that prevent individuals and groups from focusing on sickle cell disease as a significant issue. The paper discusses how neonatal screening identifies people at risk and allows for preventive measures to be taken. The paper shows how this is cost-effective because it will result in high savings for the health care system later on. The paper discusses how advocacy and a major program of health promotion could promote this issue of neonatal screening.

From the Paper:

"In comparison with the United States, Canada is inconsistent in relation to newborn screening. Ontario especially is far behind other countries in this type of screening (Eggertson, 2005). Pediatricians, physicians, along with experts in sickle cell disease and thalessemia, are asking for a comprehensive program for newborn screening that will include the 29 treatable conditions recommended by the U.S. advisory committee. This is one area in which health professionals as a whole have failed to lobby, even though it involves primary prevention. Meanwhile researchers are struggling to find assessment tools to identify high risks for sickle cell disease. The issue here is that while researchers and the medical field are very concerned about this disease, nurses and other health providers along with the government - especially the Ontario government - are not aware of the nature of sickle cell disease."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Ades, A. & Walker, J. (2001). Coverage of neonatal screening. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 84 (96), 476-478.
• Day, S. (2004). Development and evaluation of a sickle cell disease assessment instrument. Pediatric Nursing, 30 (6), 451-458.
• Eggertson, L. (2005). Canada lags on newborn screening. CMAJ, 173 (1), 1-2.
• Holtzman, N. & Shapiro, D. (1998). Genetic testing and public policy. British Medical Journal, 316 (7134), 852-856.
• Miller, S. & Sleeper, L. (2000). Predictions of adverse outcomes in children with sickle cell disease. The New England Journal of Medicine, 342 (2), 83-90.

More papers on Newborn Screening for Sickle Cell Disease:

• Term Paper # 134312 : "Newborn Medical Screening"
• Term Paper # 142981 : "Anatomical Aspects of Sickle Cell Disease"
• Analytical Essay # 123144 : "Sickle Cell Disease and Gene Therapy"

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