Newborn tests sought

When Derek Mecham was born Dec. 17, 2003, his parents were thrilled with their happy, healthy baby.

Less than six months later, Darren and Miranda Mecham were watching as doctors at Primary Children's Hospital fought to save their baby from liver failure.

Darren Mecham was one of about 20 people who addressed the directors of the Utah Department of Health Wednesday afternoon, all vying for the department's attention — and, they hope, a piece of the department's budget.

Derek Mecham suffers from tyrosinemia, a metabolic disease that attacks the liver. Darren Mecham tearfully told the department's directors that diet and medication could have prevented his son's liver failure — and the likelihood that he will one day need a liver transplant — had the disease been detected when he was born.

"It just sickens me that it would have cost $25 to $40 to run that test," Mecham said.

He and Dr. Nicola Longo, Derek's doctor at Primary Children's and the University of Utah Medical Center, were at Wednesday's public hearing lobbying for funding for mandated newborn screening. According to ARUP Laboratories, the two-minute Tandem Mass Spectrometry test can detect more than 30 diseases, most of them metabolic, in about two minutes.

But newborn screening was far from the only issue executive director Scott D. Williams and his deputy directors were presented with Wednesday. As Karrie Galloway of Planned Parenthood of Utah pointed out, the department was being asked to choose among a wide variety of important health issues to fund.

Among the other health issues addressed by public comments Wednesday:

• Several representatives of disabled rights organizations discussed the difficulties Utahns with disabilities face trying to get medical treatment, especially dental and vision treatment.

• Two women and a doctor stressed the importance of the Utah Birth Defect Network and encouraged the department to maintain its funding.

• Early intervention, early education and injury prevention programs were addressed.

• Several speakers talked of the many functions of the Center for Multicultural Health.

• Speakers addressed HIV and AIDS treatment, stroke and heart disease prevention and health education for children.