July 1 marked a big day for babies in North Dakota. The state newborn screening program expanded their newborn screening panel to include a disorder called Severe Combined Immunodeficiency, or SCID -- sometimes known as "bubble boy syndrome."

SCID is a rare, but serious, deficiency characterized by a lack of a functioning immune system.

Newborns with SCID often appear healthy at birth, but when they get sick for the first time, symptoms begin to show.

According to medical experts, it causes death 100 percent of the time if not treated within six months of life.

SCID occurs in about 1 in 50,000 to 60,000 babies.

The State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa provides laboratory support for the North Dakota Newborn Screening Program, including testing for SCID. The University of Iowa Children’s Hospital supports the North Dakota program through follow-up services and clinical consultation.

The Hygienic Laboratory also provides lab support to the Iowa Newborn Screening Program, which is a collaboration between the Iowa Department of Public Health, UI Children’s Hospital and the State Hygienic Laboratory.