Essential Details on Newborn Health Examinations for Parents
New York's Comprehensive Newborn Screening Program
In New York, newborns are screened for a range of serious and rare conditions to ensure timely intervention and better health outcomes. The program, initiated in 1965, has expanded significantly over the years, currently testing for over 50 disorders.
The screening process involves collecting a few drops of blood from a newborn's heel, typically 24-36 hours after birth. This test is the same for healthy and preterm, or otherwise sick babies. Full-term babies receive one test before hospital discharge, while premature babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) receive multiple tests over time.
The New York State Department of Health's Newborn Screening Program focuses on inherited metabolic, genetic, and other serious conditions that can cause severe health problems or death if not diagnosed early and treated promptly. The program includes disorders that can often appear with no symptoms at birth, making early screening crucial.
One of the significant conditions screened for is sickle cell disease, a genetic blood disorder affecting red blood cells and causing anemia, infections, and organ damage if untreated. New York was the first state to add screening for this disease in 1975.
While the full list of 52 disorders is not provided in the search results, it includes serious rare diseases covering metabolic, endocrine, hemoglobinopathies (including sickle cell disease), and other genetic conditions recommended by national health authorities. For the most specific and official list, the New York State Department of Health or the Wadsworth Center would provide detailed information on each condition included in the newborn screening panel.
When a positive result is obtained, hospital directors, the newborn's care team, and primary care physician will be notified and begin to determine next steps. This may involve repeat testing and referrals to specialists for additional follow-up. Early diagnosis coupled with medical treatment has been proven to prevent serious illness and even death in many cases, according to the CDC.
It is essential for parents to identify a primary care provider for their baby before the baby is born and have their contact information available at the hospital. In New York, the Department of Health currently tests newborns for more than 45 endocrine and metabolic disorders and critical congenital heart defects, most of which are genetic. A full listing of what conditions are currently on the newborn screen can be found at New York State Department of Health Screened Disorders.
Screening for newborns is completely free of charge and is automatically provided with hospital births in New York State. Parents do not need to request testing and have the right to decline if they would like. New York State regularly evaluates the list of screened disorders for possible additions.
For more information, parents can refer to the New York State Department of Health's Newborn Screening Program, the Wadsworth Center, or the NYS Newborn Screening Website. Jeffrey Meyers, MD, associate professor of Neonatology and associate chief quality officer for Golisano Children's Hospital at the University of Rochester Medical Center, discusses the process, what kinds of diseases newborns are screened for, what happens when a newborn tests positive, and more.
