Parents, there’s some good news if you are planning or about to have a baby in the state of Maryland. The state has approved adding four more health conditions to the list of screenings they perform on children.

The diseases added to the states newborn screenings are Fabry disease, Mucopolysaccharidosis type 1 (MPS1), Pompe disease and Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). This brings the total number of test for newborns in the state to 61. The goal is to identify this illness early and to start treatment immediately.

The screenings are done at two different times. The first time blood is taken from the heel of a newborn within 24 hours after it was born. Their blood is then drawn a second time about two weeks later. Each time the samples are sent to the state for testing.

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