Gov. Terry Branstad signed a proclamation declaring September as Newborn Screening Awareness Month on Sept. 15 in the Iowa State Capitol Building. Families whose children have been saved by the program and employees of the state and the University of Iowa who perform the work joined the governor at the ceremony.

Gov. Branstad prepares to sign a newborn screening proclamation surrounded by families that have been helped by the program and the professionals who carry it out.

This year is the 50th anniversary of the nation’s newborn screening program, often cited as one of the most successful public health initiatives. In the United States, more than 4 million babies are screened annually and thousands saved from death or disability because of newborn screening.

The Iowa Newborn Screening Program began in 1966 through a partnership with the Iowa Department of Public Health, the State Hygienic Laboratory and the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. Each year, the program provides screening for about 39,000 babies born in Iowa. It also conducts screening for more than 11,000 babies born in North Dakota and 13,000 in South Dakota.