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• Why We Do Newborn Screening

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• Recalls & Alerts: Baby Formula

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Why We Do Newborn Screening

Imagine running a couple of quick tests that could save the lives of 12,000 babies each year.

Every September, we celebrate Newborn Screening Awareness month. It’s a reminder that simple screenings at birth can have massive positive effects for thousands of kids and their families. Most of the conditions tested, can be improved or helped if caught early. This is why the screening is done.

Interesting Background

Back in the 1950s and 1960s, a physician by the name of Robert Guthrie created a blood test that allowed healthcare providers to screen for PKU (phenylketonuria)—a disorder where the body can’t break down proteins. It’s one of those disorders that you didn’t know you had until major problems started to develop…often when major damage has already been done.

But, with Guthrie’s screening test, parents could immediately take steps to prevent long-term damage. Over time, the healthcare community became more and more aware of the benefits of newborn screening for PKU and a host of other conditions.

What’s Tested?

I’ll put a link to the full recommended list of screenings below, but for brevity, testing usually focuses on the following (this is taken directly from the American Academy of Pediatrics):

• Hearing

• Heart function

• Metabolism (the way the body converts food and drink into the energy your baby needs to move, think and grow)

• Hormones (chemicals made by the body that guide essential processes such as growth and development)

• Hemoglobin (the substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout your child's body)

Here’s that link:

This is a great resource where you can search by state or find more information about conditions. Of note, each state tests for different conditions (while many conditions overlap, there are a few differences)

(Note: Testing is mandated by law in all 50 states.)

More Resources

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