Population Screening

The disorders that are screened for, above, may or may not be genetic. However, with the numerous advances in genetic research, public health concerns have shifted to include the growing number of recognized inherited disorders. Screening for inherited disorders began in the early 1960s, with testing for phenylketonuria (PKU), a metabolic disease that causes severe mental deficiency. Since that time, developments such as the completion of the Human Genome Project (HGP) has resulted in an increase in the number of genetic screening tests available. Types of population screening for inherited disorders can include newborn screening and carrier screening of individuals within populations known to be at high risk for certain inherited disorders.