What Is Newborn Screening?

When a baby is 1 or 2 days old, there are some special tests done. These tests are known as newborn screening tests.

Newborn screening checks the baby for serious but rare and mostly treatable health conditions at birth. This includes blood, hearing and heart screening.

A baby can be born with a health condition but may not show any signs of the health issue initially. If a health condition is found early with newborn screening, it can be treated soon. Early treatment is very important, as it may help to prevent your baby from developing serious health problems.