When to do newborn screening?

Newborn screening tests are used to check for rare but serious conditions in babies soon after birth. Most hospitals now conduct newborn screening tests within the first days of birth, even if they appear to be healthy. These tests are intended to detect disorders that can cause long-term health problems, or even death, if not diagnosed and treated promptly.

Video content is professionally consulted by Associate Professor, Doctor, Doctor Nguyen Viet Nhan - An expert of the Ministry of Health on prenatal and neonatal screening, Department of Fetal Medicine - International General Hospital Vinmec Times City

If in the past people thought that newborn screening should wait after 48 hours, now newborn screening can be performed within 24-72 hours of birth, which is a very good time to screen newborns for blood collection heel in particular and newborn screening in general. The reason this is the time to help the most accurate results is because at this time the baby has adapted to the new environment, the components of the mother in the baby's blood have also been reduced to a minimum.
If after 7 days, newborn screening for 55 diseases should not be performed because in the laboratory there are always reference thresholds corresponding to the baby's age, after 7 days, the results may no longer be accurate and the Neonatal malformations may go undetected.
Newborn screening helps to detect common and treatable or untreatable diseases but shows the role of genetic factors, making the next pregnancy more favorable.
In the case of high-risk newborn screening, parents should not be too worried, the result may just be a false positive, however, more diagnostic tests should be carried out to be sure of the results. and in the meantime, the family will be given the best advice from the doctor on how to care for the child. In case the baby is really sick, the doctor will offer a support program for the baby.
At Vinmec International General Hospital, before conducting newborn screening, families will be consulted for understanding and consensus in participating. If the newborn screening results are high-risk, the doctor will provide full instructions, meet face-to-face counseling, discuss interim measures while waiting for the results of the diagnosis. In some special cases, Vinmec will coordinate with a number of large centers in Vietnam to get the most accurate diagnosis results for children.
Some diseases detected after newborn screening will have to be monitored for a lifetime, Vinmec will be the place to support parents in monitoring their baby's every step in the development and maturation process.