Newborn Screening
Newborn Screening in Illinois
Each state has a newborn screening program that allows potentially life-threatening or disabling conditions early, allowing for prompt treatment and intervention, often before symptoms even appear, improving a child's long-term health and well-being.
In Illinois, according to IDPH, newborn screening began in 1965 with testing for PKU (phenylketonuria, a metabolic disorder) and now encompasses screenings before discharge from a hospital or birthing center for more than 40 disorders, including newborn hearing (2002) and critical congenital heart disease (2013).
Newborn Screening Matters
It is important to help families understand what happens during newborn screening and how crucial it is.
Information for families:
- IDPH Newborn Screening (NBS) home page: Newborn Screening
- IDPH NBS parent guide: A Baby's First Step in Life - A Newborn Screening Guide for Parents
- IDPH NBS Disorder fact sheets (providers and parents) and other publications: Metabolic Screening
- IDPH NBS disorder panel summary: Newborn Screening Disorder Panel Description
- IDPH NBS request forms: Newborn Screening Records
- NEW resource – where to find providers in Illinois (and nearby): Genomics Providers
- HealthyChildren.org Newborn Screening Tests
- HRSA NBS Information Center: Newborn Screening Information Center (NBSIC)
- ACMG Act Sheets and videos: ACT Sheets and Algorithms
- Save Babies Through Screening Foundation: Save Babies through Newborn Screening
- Babies First Test: Baby's First Test | Newborn Screening | Baby Health
Resources for Clinicians
- IDPH Newborn Screening Homepage
- HRSA ACHDINC for primary care professionals on communicating newborn screening results: Communication Guide
- Newborn Screening fatty acid, amino acid and organic acid cutoff table
- AAP: Newborn Screening During Emergencies
- AAP: Newborn Screening for Critical Congenital Heart Disease: A New Algorithm and Other Updated Recommendations: Clinical Report
- AAP: Guidance for the Primary Care Provider in Identifying Infants With Biliary Atresia by 2–4 Weeks of Life: Clinical Report
