Blood test to spot learning disabilities in babies is approved

The lab test is able to detect variations in chromosomes that are linked to Down syndrome, DiGeorge syndrome and other developmental disorders. Known as CytoScan Dx Assay, the test is designed to help doctors diagnose disabilities earlier so children can get appropriate care and support.About 2 to 3 per cent of children in the U.S. have some sort of intellectual disability, according to the National Institutes of Health. While the test from Affymetrix can help spot potential problems earlier, it is not intended for prenatal screening, and can not predict other genetically acquired diseases, such as cancer.While there are already genetic tests used to detect conditions such as Down syndrome, doctors usually have to order them individually and they can take several days to develop. Pediatricians said on Friday that Affymetrix's test should offer a faster, more comprehensive screening approach.  Dr Annemarie Stroustrup stressed that such tests are generally used only after children exhibit certain physical or behavioral signs that suggest a disorder.'When there's something about the child that strikes us as unusual or pointing to a potential genetic disease, that's when we would use this testing,' Dr Stroustrup, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, said. 'This is not a screening test to be done on all newborns to predict how they are going to do in school when they are 5.'Hospitals in all 50 states are currently required to screen newborns for at least 29 disorders that can be detected though laboratory testing, including sickle cell anemia and cystic fibrosis. Generally those tests pick up irregularities in metabolism, not genetic variations. The mandatory screening program, begun half a century ago, is considered one of the nation's most successful public health programs.The FDA said it approved the new test based on studies showing it accurately analyzes a patient's entire genome and can accurately spot variations associated with intellectual disabilities.(dailymail.co.uk)ANN.Az