Re:What screening tests do they perform at birth?
There are numerous screening tests done on a small amount of blood and other methods. Babies now receive screening hearing tests using a device that detects whether or not a baby heard a sound.
Blood tests include that for Phenylketonuria which is a metabolic disease, hypothyroidism or a low thyroid condition, galactosemia, which is a lot like Phenylketonuria. They also screen for sickle cell disease, and congenital adrenal hyperplasia. All of these are rather rare conditions that when tested for early, will be able to be treated and will prevent future complications.
One of the latest tests recommended is the hearing test. Now, virtually every hospital can screen a baby for hearing problems that may be managed earlier rather than later. There are some false positives so the test is often repeated after several months.
The March of Dimes recommends a screening panel that includes 29 metabolic diseases. Few hospitals screen for all of the diseases but in the future, it could be the norm among all hospitals, like hearing tests were.
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