Barrett bill to protect newborns advances through committee to full House

INDIANAPOLIS — Legislation proposed by State Rep. Brad Barrett to protect newborn babies has cleared the committee he chairs.

The full Indiana House of Representatives will now consider the bill, which would make it easier to add new medical screenings to those already performed on newborns.

Barrett, a Richmond Republican who represents District 56, is a retired surgeon. He said in a news release that newborns are now screened for more than 50 health disorders prior to leaving the hospital or within five days of a home birth.

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Conditions found would often go undetected without the mandatory screenings, and early diagnosis and treatment makes a vital difference in long-term health, the release said. To add a screening to the list of those performed now requires legislative action.

Barrett's bill proposes that a panel of medical experts would vet and determine when to add a screening to the state's list. That would quicken the time necessary to add a screening.

"Medical advancements can happen very quickly, and this panel will be able to take action sooner as opposed to waiting for the legislative process to play out," Barrett said. "We have made strides in curbing the state's infant mortality rate, but we have a long way to go. This bill could cut government red tape and allow medical experts to react more quickly — potentially saving more lives in the process."

Under the legislation, every disorder added by the panel would be evaluated annually. The Indiana Newborn Screening Program is a state-funded program within the Maternal and Child Health division of the Indiana State Department of Health.

The House Public Health Committee approved Barrett's legislation. He is chair of that committee.

This article originally appeared on Richmond Palladium-Item: Barrett bill to protect newborns moves through committee to full House