What are newborn blood spot cards?
In the UK, all newborn babies are offered screening for a small number of rare conditions. These include phenylketonuria (PKU), congenital hypothyroidism (CHT), sickle cell disorders (SCD), cystic fibrosis (CF) and Medium Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency (MCADD). The aim of newborn blood spot screening is to identify babies with these conditions early so they can be treated quickly to prevent severe disability or even death. When babies are about a week old, blood is collected from their heel onto a card (see a picture of a blood spot card below) and used for screening tests. These cards also record some personal information including the baby’s name, mother’s name, baby’s date of birth, address, contact details of the GP and midwife, and baby’s NHS number. These are necessary to make sure the results of the screening tests are matched to the right baby. When the screening tests have been completed all cards, including any remaining blood spots not needed for the screening tests
