Ducey: Newborn screening would spare these families from heartbreak and turmoil

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In the most basic terms, babies born with SCID don’t have a normal immune system. Unable to fight them off, they are susceptible to one infection after another.

Now, Gov. Doug Ducey wants to add SCID to the state’s newborn screening for a small cost, aligning Arizona with the majority of states that already test babies for the disorder.

The Immune Deficiency Foundation estimates two to four babies are born with SCID in the state each year. Nationwide, about 100 babies are diagnosed with SCID annually.

But if the disorder isn’t detected and treated within one year, the baby will typically die, according to the Immune Deficiency Foundation.

Without the screening, it’s tough to tell at birth if a baby has SCID. There are no outward signs of the disorder, and it’s not typically detected until a baby has suffered from repeated severe infections.

The foundation estimates that early treatment costs about $50,000 per baby, while late treatment can cost more than $2.3 million in Arizona, not to mention lifelong medical issues.