Is Newborn Screening a new program?
No. Every state has a newborn screening program. The New York State program began in 1965. Some disorders can affect a child very early in life – even within the first few days. For this reason, prompt testing and diagnosis are important. For how many disorders is my baby tested? More than 40. Click on this link to learn more about these conditions. Although these disorders are rare, they are usually serious. Some may be life threatening. Others may slow down the baby’s physical development or cause mental retardation or other problems if undetected and untreated. Early treatment is very important! But my baby seems very healthy. Are these tests still needed? Yes. Most infants with a disorder identified by the Newborn Screening Program show no signs of the disorder immediately after birth. With special laboratory tests, the program can identify an infant who may have one of these disorders and alert the baby’s doctor of the need for special care. Usually this can be done before the bab
Phenylketonuria (PKU) was the first metabolic disorders to be detected by using the dried blood spot. New Jersey began testing for PKU in 1965. During the next forty years, newborn screening has expanded to include detection for more than forty disorders. Currently, all states and U.S. territories mandate newborn testing for PKU and congenital hypothyroidism.
