Newborn Screenings 101: Three Health Tests in Your Baby’s First 48 Hours

Your baby’s first 48 hours are a whirlwind of emotions. With all the commotion, it’s easy to forget about routine medical testing. However, your child’s doctor won’t forget.

In Florida, doctors are required to complete newborn screening for certain genetic, endocrine, metabolic, hearing, and congenital heart conditions. These fast and painless examinations could make all the difference in catching hidden conditions early, ensuring your baby gets the healthiest start in life.

While your baby may seem healthy, some conditions aren’t easy to spot right away. That’s why hospitals conduct three vital tests:

• Blood test
• Pulse oximetry test
• Hearing test

Blood Test

A newborn blood test (also known as the heel prick test) can pick up issues such as metabolic disorders and genetic abnormalities. They may not cause symptoms right away, but early detection can mean early treatment, too.

Within the first day or two after your baby’s birth, a healthcare professional will take a small blood sample from your baby’s heel to screen for health conditions such as:

• Phenylketonuria (PKU): Metabolic disorder that prevents amino acid processing. If left untreated, PKU can lead to intellectual disability.
• Congenital hypothyroidism: Occurs when the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough hormones. It can affect growth and brain development.
• Sickle cell disease: Blood disorder that causes severe pain and organ damage if not managed properly.
• Cystic fibrosis: Affects the lungs and digestive system. If left untreated, it can cause problems like lung damage or malnutrition.

Pulse Oximetry Test

A pulse oximetry test checks for a range of congenital heart defects (CHDs). It is important to find and treat CHDs early, as they can cause serious health issues such as heart failure, arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms), endocarditis (infection of the heart lining), kidney and liver issues, and increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest. This test is quick and painless, and it usually happens a day after the birth.

During a pulse oximetry test, doctors place a sensor on your baby’s hand or foot to measure the oxygen levels in your baby’s blood. If levels are too low, it could indicate a heart issue. More tests could help doctors determine what’s wrong. Treatments like surgery may help your baby to avoid long-term heart problems.

Hearing Test

Many newborn babies have hearing difficulties. Up to 3 babies in 1,000 have hearing trouble. Hearing problems can affect your baby’s speech and language development. That’s why hospitals routinely conduct hearing tests before babies go home.

Testing a baby’s hearing is painless, and it’s typically done while the baby is asleep. There are two kinds of hearing exams for infants:

• Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) test: A small earpiece is placed in your baby’s ear to play sounds. The test measures how the ear responds to these sounds.
• Auditory brainstem response (ABR) test: Small sensors are placed on your baby’s head to detect how the brain reacts to sounds played through earphones.

If problems are detected, your doctor can order more tests. They can provide more information or confirm results from the initial tests.

Why Are These Screening Tests So Important?

You may wonder why your baby needs testing, especially if they look healthy. But some serious health issues don’t cause symptoms right away or at all. That’s why early screening is so important. It helps healthcare professionals identify concerns before they get worse. In some cases, early treatment can prevent developmental delays, hearing loss and life-threatening complications.

What Happens if a Screening Test Detects a Problem?

If a screening test shows a problem with your baby’s health, don’t panic. More tests are required. Additional screenings might give different results.

If further tests show that your baby has a health issue, your doctor will work with you. Together, you’ll create a treatment plan to help your baby.

Here for You and Your Baby

At Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, we provide specialized care across a wide range of pediatric services, including heart, ENT, and genetics.