Inequities in the application of newborn screening for cystic fibrosis

Article Outline

• Copyright

A commentary on the public health aspects of newborn screening for cystic fibrosis has been written by Ross at the University of Chicago. The pros and cons of various approaches are presented. The thesis of this article is that for universal access, the choice of methodology matters. The choice of genetic mutations selected for the DNA testing part of screening can be problematic if they are not well matched to the screened population. The implications of false negative diagnoses and ethical issues are discussed.