By Troy Nelson, MD, medical director and pediatrician

Did you know September is Newborn Screening Awareness Month?  Newborn screening allows identification and treatment of a disease before symptoms even emerge.  A newborn may appear healthy but still have a serious condition that cannot be seen.  If left untreated, these conditions can lead to slow growth, blindness and/or intellectual disability and may be life threatening. Early detection and treatment can help prevent these serious problems, which is why newborn screenings are critical.

Based on published research by Dr. Robert Guthrie in 1963, newborn screenings have evolved with newborns now being screened for more than 25 conditions within days of birth; screenings involve just a few drops of blood.  According to the National Institute of Health, newborn screening detects a treatable condition in about 1 in 300 babies born each year, a total of about 12,500 cases each year. In Arizona, approximately 100 babies annually are found to have a serious condition identified through newborn screening.

Providers in Arizona are required by law to order newborn screening tests for all newborns.  Arizona requires newborns to be screened twice to help ensure accuracy, as some conditions are easier to detect on a subsequent screen.  In addition, approximately 98% of all infants born in Arizona are screened for hearing loss prior to hospital discharge.  The first screening sample will be taken before the newborn leaves the hospital and the second will be taken between 5-10 days after birth or at the first well-baby visit, whichever comes first. For those newborns born at home, the healthcare provider present at the birth will collect the first screen.

DMG includes pediatricians that do newborn screenings and identify other medical specialists, as needed, to provide specialized treatment for a variety of pediatric conditions detected during screening. With early detection, intervention and treatment, your baby can thrive to the maximum of their abilities.

By Linda Thunn, DPT, physical therapist

CRS partners with SBAAZ to encourage best mobility in young patients

SCOOOT provides an early experience of independence for kids with mobility challenges. It frees them to explore their home, play, chase and race friends and siblings without any help. Expert clinicians, designers and engineers worked hard to create a device that will help kids discover new skills as well as new pals. The potential for physical and cognitive development was a key factor in every element of the design.

Spina Bifida Association of Arizona Inc. (SBAAZ), an organization committed to enhancing the lives of those affected by spina bifida in Arizona, was awarded a grant from the PayPal Gives Corporate Advised Fund at Silicon Valley Community Foundation. The grant was recommended by PayPal’s employee-volunteer led Chandler, AZ GIVE Team.

The SCOOOT program idea was presented to the SBAAZ by CRS’s Myelomeningocele Planning Clinic Lead Physician Pamela S. Murphy, MD, FAAP. The program was coordinated by Sharri Runnels, executive director of the SBAAZ, along with SBAAZ board member Linda Thunn, PT, DPT who is also the Myelomeningocele Planning Clinic physical therapist at CRS.

The CRS Myelomeningocele Planning Clinic occurs every Friday, and they see approximately seven patients for all day clinic, visiting up to 13 different providers, having blood work drawn, and if necessary they will get casted for their orthotics and/or have X-rays. SBAAZ provides lunch and signs people up for their medical alert bracelets. Free Arts of AZ is there for the kids to create projects at lunch time.

The SCOOOT program involves readiness assessments, equipment placement, activities and progress checks that will empower ‘toddlers’ to keep pace with their siblings and peers as they establish a sense of mastery over their world. The mobility device, resembling a toy more than a piece of medical equipment, allows children to reach items from the floor, ambulate, and enter/exit the seat safely at will.

“CRS is a great partnership for SBAAZ as we are able to share resources with clients and assess needs over lunch with families that are served by the fantastic care team brought together by District Medical Group,” stated Runnels, “SBAAZ is very grateful for the relationship with DMG and wanted to share the first SCOOOT placement with their staff as they pour so much into the kiddos!”

Spina bifida (Myelomeningocele) is a birth defect in which the spinal canal and the backbone don’t close before the baby is born. This type of birth defect is also called a neural tube defect.

The SCOOOT Earliest Mobility Program kicked off was on Friday, November 10, 2017 with placements being made at the CRS Myelomeningocele Planning Clinic.

By Linda Thunn, DPT, physical therapist