Short-Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency (SCAD)

Short Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency (SCADD)
A Fatty-acid Oxidation Disorder

Save Babies Through Screening Foundation is comprised of volunteers. Some have children who were helped by newborn screening, and some have children who have died, or suffered brain damage. For many of the Foundation's volunteers, joy comes from knowing that your child was saved. Many hours of hard work have been done to help children, maybe even yours. Please let us hear from you.

What is it?
Short Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency (SCADD) is a condition in which the body cannot oxidize fatty acids because an enzyme is either missing or not functioning correctly.

Inheritance and Frequency
The gene defect for SCADD is an autosomal recessive genetic trait and is unknowingly passed down from generation to generation. This faulty gene only emerges when two carriers have children together and pass it to their offspring. For each pregnancy of two such carriers, there is a 25% chance that the child will be born with the disease and a 50% chance the child will be a carrier for the gene defect.

Signs & Symptoms
Symptoms of SCADD are failure to thrive and hypoglycemia. Over time without proper treatment, development is delayed.

Long Term Effects

Treatment
Treatment of SCADD usually consists of avoidance of fasting (by frequent meals) and use of glucose IV required when food cannot be tolerated (such as with a virus, cold, flu, etc.). Intake of short--chain fatty acids should be avoided. Supplemental carnitine is recommended for some affected children.

History

Screening For
Visit the "What Does Your State Screen For Page" to find out what your state screens for in its newborn screening test.

Supplemental Screening
If you live in a state that does not perform screening on its newborns for all detectable disorders, there are laboratories that will provide the screening for this to you no matter what state you live in. For more information about supplemental screening, visit our supplemental screening page. Also visit our frequently asked questions page for more information on newborn screening.

Other Sites of Reference

Support Groups

FOD Family Support Group
805 Montrose Drive
Greensboro, NC 24710
Contact Person: Deb Lee Gould
Phone: (336) 547-8682
Email: deb@fodsupport.org

James William Lazzaro Foundation
4493 Liberty Road
South Euclid, OH 44121
Contact Person: Jamie Lazzaro
Phone: (502) 254-2209
Email: info@jwlsite.com

United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation
P.O. Box 1151
Monroeville, PA 15146-1151
Phone: (412) 793-8077
Email: info@umdf.org

HOME | ABOUT US | PRESS RELEASES | DONATE NOW | VOLUNTEER NOW

Contact Save Babies Through Screening for questions about the content of this site or
the Webmaster for questions about technical issues related to this site.
Terms of use for this site.

Revised 6/17/2005