Identified infants are tracked to ensure they receive appropriate medical care.
Newborns routinely have specimens drawn for testing before discharge from the hospital.
Some disorders for which we test are not detectable until the babies are at least 24 hours old, requiring second specimens for testing after hospital discharge. Specimens are drawn with a heel prick, and blood spots are put on a special filter paper collection kit which is sent to the laboratory for testing. Each year the program tests more than 200,000 specimens representing more than 100,000 babies. The Newborn Screening Progam is entirely supported by fees. The Newborn Screening Program distributes a Practitioner's Manual to all doctors, midwives, nurse practitioners and laboratorians who work with newborns.