Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Director Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck announced that IDPH is now testing all babies born in Illinois hospitals for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) and other immunodeficiencies. SCID is an inherited disorder, which causes improper development of white blood cells that are the primary defense against viruses, bacteria, and fungal infections. People with SCID are very susceptible to recurrent infections and may develop pneumonia, meningitis or other complications. Illinois becomes the 18th state to test for SCID. With the addition of SCID, Illinois now tests newborns for 40 disorders. Each year, IDPH labs test about 160,000 newborns with approximately 18,000 abnormal test results, of which 350 are diagnosed with a disorder.