When is newborn screening done?
Newborn will be screened before leaving the hospital; these screening process involves a painless heel prick to collect a few drops of blood on special paper that is sent to the state laboratory for analysis. Screening is safe and can reveal serious health conditions in your newborn before symptoms or serious effects occur. How is the test done? www.dshs.state.tx.us/newborn/expandparent.shtm Just before your baby leaves the hospital after birth, your baby’s heel is pricked; some drops of blood are collected on a filter paper card and sent to the Newborn Screening Laboratory for your state of residences. Why is the nursery resqesting for a repeat blood draw? The newborn screen is most accurate when baby’s blood is taken 24 hours or later after birth. If your baby’s blood was taken sooner than 24 hours after birth, a second sample will be taken. In some insatnces if your baby was born prematurely or needed special care after birth such as blood transfusion or antibiotics, the timing of r
Your newborn will be screened before leaving the hospital. The screening process involves a painless heel prick to collect a few drops of blood on special paper that is sent to the state laboratory for analysis. Screening is safe and can reveal serious health conditions in your newborn before symptoms or serious effects occur. How will I get the results? Your baby’s doctor will receive a screening report and notify you of the results. You have the right and are encouraged to ask your doctor or nurse to explain the screening process and provide the results to you. The Parent Information section below provides links to brochures and information on the diseases included in Kentucky’s newborn screening.
