Robert Guthrie--The Pku Story: Crusade Against Mental Retardation

All newborns in the U.S. and in many parts of the world now have a couple of drops of blood drawn from their heels in order to test them for PKU and a host of other genetic disorders that can cause mental retardation or premature death if not treated immediately. This is the biography of the man best known for his development of newborn screening for PKU. Yet this was only one of his prodigious accomplishments. Tests were developed in Bob Guthrie's laboratory for more than 30 treatable disorders that cause mental retardation or death, giving the term "newborn screening" fresh meaning. He also waged a battle against lead poisoning long before the public or the medical community became concerned about this danger and was a member of the Physicians for Social Responsibility-an organization devoted to preventing nuclear war and o-posing nuclear weapons testing.