Screening for severe combined immunodeficiency is being tested as part of a newborn blood spot testing programme
Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is a is a group of rare inherited conditions that impair the development of the immune system, leading to reduced numbers of and malfunctioning T and B lymphocytes, which are white blood cells made in the bone marrow and thymus gland to fight infection. This means that illnesses that are not serious for most babies can be life-threatening for infants with SCID. Without early recognition and treatment, babies with SCID generally die before one year of age.
Nursing Children and Young People. 33, 6, 16-17. doi: 10.7748/ncyp.33.6.16.s7
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