How to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples benefit from newborn DNA screening

Belinda Howell/Getty In Australia, every newborn baby is offered a screening test for 34 serious but treatable conditions (or groups of conditions), such as cystic fibrosis and spinal muscular atrophy. The test uses a small blood sample taken from the baby’s heel. Finding these conditions early can save lives and prevent disability. In the future, sequencing the DNA of newborns as part of a genomic newborn screening program could allow the detection of many more conditions, potentially…