Newborn Screening

Excerpt

Newborn screening is a state-run healthcare initiative that encompasses the process of parental education, infant screening, appropriate follow-up, diagnostic testing, disease management, and continued evaluation. The newborn screen itself is a specific set of laboratory evaluations and point-of-care examinations performed on newborn infants in an attempt to identify clinically occult but potentially serious disorders that require expedient intervention. Nearly four million infants undergo screening annually, with approximately 3,400 infants each year receiving early intervention for diseases identified by uniform newborn screening.