The Basics: Overview
Talk about newborn screening with your doctor or midwife before your baby is born. Newborn screening includes tests that check for certain diseases and conditions in newborn babies.
Newborn screening lets doctors find these diseases and conditions early – before your baby shows any signs of a problem. Early treatment is important to keep your baby healthy and developing normally.
Your baby will get most tests before leaving the hospital. They don't cause any harm or risk to your baby. Check out these frequently asked questions about newborn screening.
The Basics: Blood Tests
What tests will my baby need?
All states require newborn screening, but the number and types of tests aren’t the same from state to state. Depending on your family health history, you may want to ask the doctor for extra tests.
Most newborn screening tests use a few drops of blood taken from the heel of your baby’s foot. The same sample of blood can be used to test for many different diseases, including:
- Hypothyroidism – The thyroid is a gland in the neck that makes the thyroid hormone. Hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone) can cause problems with growth and development, but it can be treated if it’s found early.
- PKU (phenylketonuria) – People with PKU can’t process certain foods. To make up for the foods they can’t eat, they have to drink a special formula. PKU can also cause intellectual disability (mental skills that are below average) if it’s not treated early.
- Sickle cell disease – This is a blood disorder that can cause serious pain, infections, or stroke. If it’s found early, sickle cell disease can be treated.
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Other Tests
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Overview
The Basics: Other Tests
Heart defects
Screening for heart defects can help find some problems with the way the heart develops before your baby goes home from the hospital. Finding and treating these defects early can help prevent serious problems or death.
Doctors test for heart defects by placing a small sensor on your baby's hand or foot. This test is painless and only takes a few minutes.
Hearing
A hearing screening checks how your baby responds to sounds using a tiny sensor or earphone. If your baby has hearing loss, finding out early can help prevent problems with speech, language, and social development.
If your hospital doesn’t screen for hearing loss, ask your baby's doctor to check your child's hearing in the first month.
Some hearing loss starts later on, so have your child's hearing checked if you notice any problems. Learn more about signs of hearing loss in babies and children.
If your child has hearing loss, it's important to get help early on. Getting help early helps children with hearing loss develop communication and social skills. Some children may also be able to use devices that help them hear, like a hearing aid, or get medicine or surgery.
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Make a Plan
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Blood Tests