What is newborn screening?
Newborn screening involves laboratory testing of all newborns for certain genetic/metabolic or endocrine disorders of body chemistry. In addition to laboratory capabilities, necessary components of a successful newborn screening program include tracking and referral of at-risk infants until further diagnostic testing is performed and long-term follow-up of children diagnosed with a disorder. These tests should be considered screening tests only. Screening can indicate the possibility that an infant may be at risk for a disorder included in the testing panel. Additional diagnostic tests are necessary to determine if the infant with an abnormal test actually has a disorder.
Newborn screening is the practice of testing every newborn to detect harmful or potentially fatal disorders that aren’t otherwise apparent at birth. Many of these are metabolic disorders that interfere with the body’s use of nutrients to maintain healthy tissues and produce energy. Other disorders that may be detected through newborn screening include problems with hormones or blood. (http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/system/medical/newborn_screening_tests.html) A positive newborn screen does not necessarily mean a child has a disorder. When a child has a positive screen, the parents and the child’s doctor are notified so further testing can be done to determine if the child has a disorder.
Newborn screening involves laboratory testing of all newborn infants for certain genetic/metabolic or endocrine disorders of body chemistry. In addition to laboratory capabilities, necessary components of a successful newborn screening program include tracking and referral of at-risk infants until further diagnostic testing is performed and long-term follow-up of children diagnosed with a disorder. These tests should be considered screening tests only. Screening can indicate the possibility that an infant may be at risk for a disorder included in the testing panel. Additional diagnostic tests are necessary to determine if the infant with an abnormal test actually has a disorder.
