Newborn screening is a public health program of screening in infants shortly after birth for conditions that are treatable, but not clinically evident in the newborn period.

What is the meaning of newborn screening?

Newborn screening refers to a set of special tests, including blood, hearing, and heart screening, done to one- to two-day-old infants, usually before they leave the hospital. This is to check for any serious health disorders that do not show signs at birth.

What is newborn screening and how is it done?

There are three parts to newborn screening. A heel stickWhen the baby's heel is pricked to collect a sample of blood for newborn screening to collect a small blood sampleWhen blood is drawn from the human body in order to be tested for medical purposes, pulse oximetry.