Read on and understand why none of the psychiatric "chemical imbalances" are actual diseases, like these are.

"Inconsistencies in Screening Mean Rare Diseases Go Undetected and Untreated." The Wall Street Journal, June 17, 2004.

In April, 2003, in a hospital northeast of Oakland, Zachary Wyvill was born with a very rare enzyme deficiency that has left him unable to eat, walk or crawl. A month later, another child named Zachary was born with the same genetic disorder in a hospital 60 miles to the east. But today, this boy, Zachary Black is a healthy 1 year old. His disease is kept in check with a special diet and vitamins. His condition was diagnosed during a special newborn-screening project carried out in many, but not all, California hospitals. Zachary Wyville's conditions want detected because his blood wasn't screened. By the time doctors diagnosed his problem, he was already severely disabled.

All states require some such testing for newborns, but the policies are a hodgepodge. California, for example, requires that newborns be screened for only four treatable diseases. Other states, such as New Jersey and Mississippi, mandate screening at birth for 30 to 40 disorders. "By some government and medical estimates, the lack of standardized newborn screening is responsible for the illness and death of several thousand children every year. The cost of treating and caring for children who suffer from these rare diseases can range from $500,000 to $1 million according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "No child in America with one of these diseases should ever go undetected at birth" says Harry Hannon, director of newborn-screening services at the CDC. "That some infants aren't being caught and treated when ppossible is a national tragedy."

A machine first developed 15 years ago can now identify more than three dozen congenital diseases from a small spot of blood from the heel of a newborn. If detected by this test, which costs $50-$80-most of these conditions can be readily treated, even cured. But many states haven't expanded such newborn screening, citing costs. California's pilot program was shut down last July as "a direct result of the state's deep fiscal problems," says George Cunningham, who oversees the state pprogram.

The two Zachary's disease-glutaric academia type 1 (GA1) results from a gene glitch so uncommon it strikes just one per 75,000 newborns. If not diagnosed in the first 6-9 months of life, the GA1 gene mutation will kill brain cells and cripple muscles. Though Zachary Wyville is quick to smile, he can barely move his arms or legs or lift his head.

The new test required is tandem mass spectrometry that was first developed in 1990 and introduced for neonatal screening in a handful of states a few years later. It can detect 40 different genetic or metabolic anomalies from just a tiny spot of blood. The tandem mass machines cost about $300,000 apiece. As of two years ago, only 20 states offered tandem mass for newborn screening, according to a 2002 US GAO report and only 13 states require its use.