HB 2741 Newborn testing

Directs the Oregon Health Authority to maintain a state public health laboratory, administer a newborn bloodspot screening program and implement additional programs related to newborn bloodspot screening. Requires health care providers and health care facilities to ensure collection and delivery of specimens for newborn bloodspot screening and report certain test results to the authority. Creates an exemption for parents or guardians who oppose screening of an infant for religious or philosophical reasons.This bill is a foot-in-the-door for state custody of a child when the state’s opinion for treatment is different from the parents. We’ve already witnessed one such case, and the state was wrong.

This bill allows for follow-up whether the parent asks for it or not. OHA can simply schedule a follow-up and if the parent refuses, they develop a case to remove the child. The program should be a choice of the parent and kept at a personal doctor level. The state’s duty is to stay out of personal lives, a Democratic Republic is not a nanny state.

Parents of newborns are easily excitable and newborn testing is mostly a crystal-ball analysis. But a test can make a perfectly healthy baby a subject of unnecessary anxiety and be emotionally mistreated.