Gov. Scott Walker signed an act Monday that will allow the Department of Health Services to expand required tests conducted on newborns, according to a statement.
The bill grants the DHS authority to add or update tests medical institutions use to diagnose congenital and metabolic diseases, the statement said.
Walker thanked State Sen. Leah Vukmir, R-Wauwatosa, and state Rep. Pat Strachota, R-West Bend, for authoring the bill, according to the statement.
“This is a potentially life-saving measure for our newborns,” Walker said. “All babies deserve the best chance at a healthy, happy life. When a simple test can lead to early detection of a critical disease, making sure our newborns get that screening is the right thing to do.”
The pulse-oximetry test will likely be the first the DHS will review under the act, the statement said. The test measures levels of oxygen saturation in the blood and can detect some congenital infant heart defects.
