The Connecticut Newborn Screening Program

The Connecticut Newborn Screening Program (CT NBS) is a public health program that screens all babies born in the state for many serious but treatable genetic disorders.

While most babies are born healthy, some babies are born with serious but treatable medical conditions. Your baby will receive three different screening tests while in the hospital:

the bloodspot screen checks for medical conditions that can cause problems with your baby’s growth and development and can sometimes cause death if not treated. You may hear someone call this the “PKU” test, but this name is outdated. PKU is just one of over 60 conditions that babies are tested for by bloodspot screening in Connecticut
the hearing screen
the pulse oximetry screen that checks for serious heart problems

Every baby born in Connecticut receives a newborn screening (NBS) blood-spot test. This is done by taking a few drops of blood from the baby’s heel one to two days after birth. The blood is sent to the Connecticut State Public Health Laboratory where it is tested for over 60 medical conditions.

Babies with one of these medical conditions may not look sick when they are born. NBS helps to find babies with these health problems, so treatment can start early. Early treatment can help prevent serious illness and death.

If the blood-spot test shows that a baby may a health problem, CT NBS Program staff will call the baby’s primary care provider to report the results and will either request a second blood-spot test or that the baby follow up with a specialist. The specialist will determine whether the baby has the health problem and start treatment if needed.