OPINION: What are newborn screening tests?

Newborn blood screening checks for many blood diseases that can cause serious illness to babies. These diseases, like sickle cell, PKU, hypothyroidism, and cystic fibrosis, can cause brain damage or even death, but are very treatable if found early in life. The newborn’s heel is simply pricked, and a few drops of blood are obtained and sent to the state lab, where it is tested for 13 different diseases.

This test should be done before your baby leaves the hospital, but after the baby is 24 hours old. In fact, Georgia law requires that all babies who are sent home from the hospital before they are 24 hours old return to their doctor to have the test done before the baby is one week old.

Sometimes the test will need to be repeated. The lab has very specific collection requirements, and if the collection paper is not saturated just right, the lab will require the specimen to be recollected. Sometimes the results are “borderline” or abnormal, which means the sample will need to be collected again.

Often, if the results are “borderline” or abnormal, the lab will call one of my nurses at the health department to follow up, even if the baby is not one of our patients. We then contact the parents to arrange to have the sample recollected. The parents can take the baby back to the baby’s pediatrician, or we can recollect the sample, but the sample must be recollected as soon as possible. With a “borderline” or abnormal result, time is of the essence, so the baby can begin treatment if a true problem exists.

Newborns also receive hearing screening in the hospital. Hearing screening is important because a child’s language skills develop from hearing, and an undiagnosed hearing problem may mean a problem with language skills. Hearing screening should be done in the hospital.

Hearing screening is quick and easy for the newborn and is not painful. Babies who do not pass their hearing screening should have a follow up re-screen, and there are many resources available to assist with this.

Most hospitals refer babies who don’t pass their hearing screening to Children 1st. Children 1st is a free “single point of entry” for kids into services, and coordinates care for children. There are no income guidelines, and you don’t have to have insurance or Medicaid to qualify. The Children 1st coordinator will help the parent arrange follow up hearing screening for their baby, and can follow up for other services if needed as well.

Early diagnosis and treatment of disease and hearing loss is so important for your baby’s health. Be sure to ask your newborn’s nurse before you leave the hospital if your little one had their screening tests done! Thanks to the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening & Intervention Program and Newborn Blood Screening Program for assistance writing this column.

Beth Heath is the county nurse manager for the Madison County Health Department.