Illinois Making ALD Disorder Testing For NewBorns Mandatory

According to WGEM.com, Illinois is now becoming the 14th state in the U.S. to make ALD screening required for all newborn babies. ALD is short for Adrenoleukodystrophy, a disorder that can be fatal. It affects the brain, Adrenal grand and the Nervous system. Dr. Dennis Go with Quincy medical Group said ' It is a rare hereditary disorder but if left untreated it can be fatal". He went on to say that Screening for the disorder is important because babies born with a normal brain and the disorder, can see ALD progress over time.

Dr. Go also said it's exciting because now they have gene therapy where they can actually cure the disorder but only with early diagnosis. There are a couple different treatments for the disorder like adrenal steroid replacement and stem cell transplantation but its only effective during a very narrow window which is missed quite often. in 2016, the U.S. Department of Health added ALD screening to the national recommended uniform Screening Panel.

Its definitely a scary situation but it can all be helped with early screening. If you would like some more information on ALD, here is a link to the Illinois Department of Public Health.