Newborn Screening

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, approximately 3,000 babies with severe disorders are identified in the United States each year using newborn screening programs at current testing rates. States vary, and not all tests are required in every state and a few states mandate more. A baby may need follow-up testing if you are discharged before this time or the baby is unable to be tested before discharge.

Newborn screening is the process of testing newborn babies for treatable hearing loss and metabolic disorders.

The following tests are performed on every newborn delivered at the MemorialCare Center for Women.

• Hearing problems
• Metabolic disorders
• Endocrine disorders
• Blood cell disorders

Why does a baby need screening?

• Most babies are healthy when they are born.
• All babies are tested because a few babies look healthy but have a rare health problem.

Hearing

To help minimize communication deficits and improve hearing abilities, the state of California has implemented Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs that can detect hearing loss in newborns. The MemorialCare Center for Women conducts two quick and painless hearing screenings before a baby is released from the hospital:

• The otoacoustic emissions (OAE) test records an infant’s inner ear’s response to sound.
• The auditory brainstem response (ABR) test is typically done on infants who do not pass the OAE. During this test, electrodes are placed on the infant’s head that measure the hearing nerve’s activity in response to sound.

Genetic Diseases

A blood test is used to test for any genetic diseases at birth.  Before leaving the hospital, a nurse will take a few drops of blood from a baby’s heel for testing.  The hospital sends the blood samples to a newborn screening lab and parents are notified of the test results and if necessary referred to a pediatric specialist.