# The History of and Advances in Newborn Screening: Where Do We Stand?

## TL;DR

This paper reviews the history and recent developments in newborn screening, focusing on the integration of genomic sequencing and the challenges of updating screening criteria.

## Contribution

The paper introduces the integration of genomic sequencing into newborn screening and provides evidence for combining biomarker and DNA-based approaches.

## Key findings

- Genomic sequencing is being explored as a complement to traditional newborn screening methods.
- Current screening criteria are not keeping pace with advances in treatment and diagnostic technologies.
- The paper offers recommendations for adapting newborn screening to new scientific and societal demands.

## Abstract

To comprehend the current state and future of newborn screening (NBS), it is essential to understand its history. Over the past six decades, this well-established and exemplary population-based screening program has been guided by screening principles dating back more than half a century. Advances in laboratory and point-of-care testing, diagnostic methods, and a surge of available treatments and even cures have made it challenging to balance screening criteria that have not kept pace with the current landscape. The availability to screen as well as the demand from parents and stakeholders to screen for more and increasingly complex conditions while limiting the retention of NBS specimens and genetic material has been both exciting and challenging. This paper shares the history of NBS in the United States, followed by the development and integration of genomic sequencing as a complement to current practice. It explores evidence supporting the concomitant use of biomarker- and DNA-sequencing-based approaches for NBS, how disorders are selected for inclusion, and available treatments, and offers recommendations regarding what to consider and how to proceed in this ever-changing NBS landscape.