Hospitals across the U.S. use newborn screening to check babies for serious or life-threatening birth defects and other health problems. While all states and territories check for a range of basic conditions, there is no single nationwide testing standard, and various states and regions have different screening criteria, notes the website for the March of Dimes.
Screening Basics
Before leaving the hospital, all newborn babies in the U.S. receive screening for various genetic, functional, hormonal and metabolic disorders, according to the March of Dimes. These procedures determine if your child has a greater than average likelihood of developing problems in these areas. However, they cannot tell you whether or not your child actually has a given disorder. If your child's doctor suspects a problem based on the results of screening, she will perform additional tests, called diagnostic tests, which can definitively uncover any defects or diseases. While most babies receive a clean bill of health, each year doctors identify roughly 5,000 newborns with serious medical issues and 12,000 newborns with some form of hearing problem, reports the March of Dimes.
Screening Procedure
Your hospital will perform most screening tests on a small blood sample taken from your baby's heel, according to the National Newborn Screening & Genetics Resource Center, or NNSGRC. This sample will then be sent to a laboratory for analysis. Testing times vary, based on a number of factors, but you will likely receive notification of any problems within a couple of days. If your child does not show any signs of difficulties, you may not receive the results of a screening for a longer period of time. Screenings for hearing problems require additional testing, adds the March of Dimes.
Common Disorders
The March of Dimes lists several examples of disorders that doctors routinely look for in your child during screening. These include a protein disorder called phenylketonuria, or PKU; a milk sugar processing disorder called galactosemia; a thyroid hormone deficiency called congenital hypothyroidism; a group of hormone disorders collectively known as congenital adrenal hyperplasia; a blood disorder called sickle cell anemia; and hearing impairment. With the exception of congenital hypothyroidism and some hearing problems, all of these disorders are genetically inherited.
Screening Criteria
While all states in the U.S. test for at least 26 disorders, some test for as many as 50, the March of Dimes Foundation explains. KidsHealth from Nemours lists factors affecting the scope of state screening programs that include financial concerns, the likelihood of false-positive results for certain disorders and the current lack of treatment for certain detectable problems. You can learn about your state's screening criteria by contacting your doctor or your state's department of health. If you have concerns about your state's level of screening, you may want to ask your doctor about the availability of supplemental testing, suggests KidsHealth from Nemours.
Considerations
Your state may require a mandatory re-screening of all newborns, the NNSGRC notes. For example, if you leave the hospital within 24 hours of giving birth, your child may need to be re-screened. In some cases, your child may also receive a re-screening to review potential health concerns or to address problems with the original blood sample.
