Moments after Julie Osborn gives birth to her second child this summer, the baby will be whisked to a reverse isolation chamber, a hospital room designed to block the entry of germs.The concept is familiar to Osborn and her husband, Clark. Their first child, Josh, now 11, just spent 80 days sealed in a hospital room as part of his treatment for the same immune system disorder, commonly known as “bubble boy disease.” Since Jan. 1, 2008, all newborns in Wisconsin have been tested for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). Of the estimated 180,000 infants screened so far, one has had the disorder, said Charles Brokopp, director of the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene at UW-Madison.
Office of Strategic Communication