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Newborn screenings
All babies are screened in the first few days after birth. Routine baby screening is important to detect abnormalities that may not be obvious to an untrained person.
Newborn screening detects certain conditions early so that the baby can receive appropriate treatment for the condition. The doctor can also counsel parents on the cause, management and outcome of the condition.
Physical screening
At birth or soon after, all newborn babies undergo clinical examination by a doctor. This involves checking the baby for features of prematurity, birth defects and abnormalities of the heart, lungs, abdomen, genitals, neurological system, back and limbs.
Your doctor will explain to you if any abnormalities were found during the newborn screening, and how to confirm the diagnosis.
What else is included?
Besides clinical screening, your baby’s blood is routinely sent for screening of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, congenital hypothyroidism and inborn errors of metabolism.
Ask your doctor for the results of these tests and what you can do if they are abnormal. Your baby will also undergo a hearing test (called “Universal Newborn Hearing Screen”) before he or she is discharged from hospital. The hearing test is carried out in a quiet room by a trained hospital staff. Ask the staff if the hearing screen was normal and what can be done about an abnormal hearing result. |