Newborn Screening Shouldn’t Depend on a Baby’s Zip Code: Rafferty Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa Partner, Nicole Kruegel, Calls for Nationwide Reform
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla., March 31, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- An article published in the Sun Sentinel is drawing renewed attention to inequities in America’s newborn screening system, highlighting how a child’s access to life-saving early diagnosis can still depend on geography.
The piece, titled “Baby’s First Medical Test Shouldn’t Depend on Their Zip Code,” is authored by Nicole Kruegel, Partner at Rafferty Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa. It calls for urgent national action to ensure all states implement the full Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP), a set of medically endorsed conditions that can be detected at birth through a simple heel-prick blood test.
Newborn screening is widely recognized as one of the most effective preventive public health programs in the United States, allowing doctors to identify rare but serious genetic conditions before symptoms appear and irreversible damage occurs. However, implementation varies significantly by state, leaving gaps in early detection that can have devastating consequences.
As Kruegel notes in the op-ed, “Medical science has already given us the tools to detect and treat these conditions early. The reality that some children are denied that chance simply because of where they are born is both preventable and unacceptable.”
The article underscores the human impact of these gaps, including the story of a child whose treatable condition went undiagnosed until it was too late for effective intervention.
Research cited in the piece shows that newborn screening currently identifies rare diseases in approximately 14,000 infants each year, yet thousands more may still fall through the cracks due to inconsistent state adoption of the full screening panel. Advocates estimate that approximately $173 million in federal funding could enable nationwide implementation.
Kruegel emphasizes that the issue extends beyond medicine into systemic accountability.
“In the legal field, we often see the devastating consequences when systems fail to keep pace with available safety measures,” she writes. “These are not abstract policy failures—they are preventable tragedies.”
The publication in the Sun Sentinel seeks to elevate public awareness and encourage policymakers, healthcare systems, and advocates to act on long-standing disparities in newborn screening access.
About Rafferty Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa
Rafferty Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa is a leading Florida law firm dedicated to advocating for victims of mass torts, medical malpractice and corporate negligence. With a track record of holding powerful institutions accountable, the firm fights for justice on behalf of individuals and families affected by preventable harm.
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