Newborn Screening 

Each year, approximately four million infants are screened in the U.S. for a variety of genetic and other congenital disorders. Identifying infants with congenital disorders early is vital to preventing their death and limiting illness.

State MCH programs play a vital role in managing newborn screening programs by coordinating the system components; ensuring stakeholder involvement; educating health care providers, families and policymakers about the system; and conducting surveillance and monitoring activities to ensure quality.

Project Areas

• Newborn Screening Long-term Follow Up Assessment - January 2007 [summary] [full report]
• AMCHP's Comments to the Maternal and Child Health Bureau on the American College of Medical Genetics' Newborn Screening: Toward a Unified Screening Panel and System - April 2005
• Tune In to Newborn Hearing Screening - March 2005
• State Strategies to Promote Coordination of the Newborn Screening System - August 2004 (In partnership with ASTHO and APHL)

External Resources

• Newborn Hearing Screening Status - 2008 (Statehealthfacts.org)
• Newborn Cystic Fibrosis Screening Status - 2008 (Statehealthfacts.org)
• Financing Newborn Screening Systems in an Era of Change - March 2005 (an ASTHO Publication)
• Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders and Genetic Diseases in Newborns and Children
• Newborn Screening Clearinghouse

Key Partners

• American College of Medical Genetics
• Association of Public Health Laboratories: Newborn Screening
• Association of State and Territorial Health Officials: Genetics and Newborn Screening
• Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute
• HRSA Regional Genetics Collaboratives
• March of Dimes: Newborn Screening
• National Birth Defects Prevention Network
• National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management
• National Newborn Screening and Genetics Resource Center
• Genetic Alliance