Newborn Screening Tests

Newborn Metabolic Screening Tests 

To screen the newborn, blood is taken from a heel prick and may be tested for the various conditions such as phenylketonuria (PKU, which causes mental impairments because of the inability to process an amino acid common in many foods), sickle cell anemia (a genetic blood disease that can cause serious illness and death), various hormone deficiencies, and other genetic conditions.

Other newborn treatments and tests:

• Eye drops – The CDC (2017) recommends that all newborn eyes be treated with eye drops to prevent infections picked up during delivery. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are the main cause of newborn eye infections, which can cause blindness if left untreated. Some parents ask to delay the treatment so that their babies' vision isn't blurred during the period immediately following birth. Silver nitrate drops were once used, but they have been replaced by erythromycin antibiotic ointment, which is less painful.

• Vitamin K shot – Newborns usually have low levels of vitamin K, so the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all newborns receive a shot (or oral doses) of vitamin K immediately after birth. Vitamin K is needed for blood clotting, and research shows that shots prevent rare but dangerous bleeding in newborns. A recent spike in related problems in infants coincides with the refusal of some parents to give their newborns the controversial shot.

• Hearing test – In order to spot hearing loss as early as possible, most hospitals now screen newborns. When the baby is asleep, tiny earphones or microphones are used to see how the baby reacts to sounds. Future speech and language problems can be minimized when hearing problems are identified early.

• Hepatitis B vaccine – The first shot in a series of three shots to prevent the hepatitis B virus (HBV). This virus can cause infection, liver damage, and even death. Babies usually get the next two shots by 18 months.

*Heart screening- Newborns are checked for critical congenital heart defects by a simple test called pulse oximetry. This device, placed on baby's skin, checks the oxygen level in your baby’s blood.

• Circumcision – This is an elective surgery where part of the foreskin (the skin that covers the head of the penis) is cut away. Circumcision used to be routinely performed in the U.S. but now is only done at the request of the parents. Still approximately 77% of U.S. male infants have had the procedure (Morris, Bailis & Wiswell, 2014).  For some families circumcision is a religious duty (Jewish & Muslim) for others it's a cultural or personal choice. The American Academy of Pediatrics' Task Force supports the procedure because of health benefits. 

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