Health Topics

You Are Here:
Home →
Newborn Screening
URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/newbornscreening.html

Newborn Screening

On this page

Basics

Learn More

See, Play and Learn

  • No links available

Research

Resources

For You

Summary

Your newborn infant has screening tests before leaving the hospital. There may be different tests depending on the state where you live. They include:

  • Tests on a few drops of blood from pricking the baby's heel. The tests look for inherited disorders. All states test for at least 30 of these conditions.
  • A hearing test that measures the baby's response to sound
  • A skin test that measures the level of oxygen in the blood. This can tell if the baby has a congenital heart defect.

These tests look for serious medical conditions. If not treated, some of these conditions can cause lifelong health problems. Others can cause early death. With early diagnosis, treatment can begin right away, before serious problems can occur or become permanent.

If a screening shows that your baby might have a condition, the health care provider or the state health department will call you. It is important to follow up quickly. Further testing can verify whether your baby has the condition. If so, treatment should start right away.

NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Start Here

Related Issues

Specifics

Genetics

Clinical Trials

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Reference Desk

  • Glossary From the National Institutes of Health (National Center for Biotechnology Information)

Find an Expert

Patient Handouts

The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.