Barts and The London Maternity Service | For women and families | Newborn screening
Newborn screening
Soon after your baby is born, they will have a check-up with a paediatrician or specialist midwife to ensure they are healthy. These check-ups consist of a thorough examination including checking the stability of your baby’s hip joints, but does not routinely include any blood tests.
Hearing check: Your baby will also be offered a hearing check. This test is painless and identifies babies with signs of hearing impairment at birth so that they can be offered treatment. The test is offered on the post-natal wards at The Royal London Hospital.
Top tip: If you deliver at home or leave the ward before your child is seen, please make sure you are given an outpatient appointment to have the test done. The results are usually given immediately, although occasionally this test may need to be repeated if your baby is not settled at the time of the test or if your baby still has some water in their ears.
Newborn bloodspot screening: When your baby is between 5 and 7 days old, a blood test will screen your baby for five important conditions:
- cystic fibrosis,
- sickle cell disease,
- phenylketonuria (PKU),
- congential hypothyroidism and
- medium chain co A dehydrogenase deficiency (MCADD)
The test requires four drops of blood from a baby’s heel dropped onto a card. The results will be given at the 6-8 week check.
For more information about newborn bloodspot screening, please click here.
A second check-up will be offered when your child is 6-8 weeks old and this is usually performed by your GP.
