It is normal for your baby to have routine medical procedures
New-Born Bloodspot Screening Test
The new-born bloodspot screening test (also known as the Heel Prick Test, Guthrie Test, or Phenylketonuria Screening) identifies rare and serious conditions in babies. In Ireland, the screening looks for cystic fibrosis and in-born errors of metabolism, e.g., phenylketonuria, congenital hypothyroidism, classical galactosaemia, homosystinuria, and maple syrup urine disease.
During this test, your baby’s heel is pricked with a needle to draw some drops of blood. These drops are collected onto the test’s special card. Your baby may experience mild pain during the test. To prevent this, they can receive sucrose (sugar) for pain relief and will be kept warm and comfortable.
This test is carried out on Day 4 of life. Where your baby is located on this day determines who will carry out the test, the neonatal unit nurse, ward midwife, or public health nurse. If your baby requires a blood transfusion before Day 4 of life, the heel prick will be performed before the transfusion is given and repeated at Day 4. In addition, if your baby needs intravenous feeds, the heel prick test will be repeated 24 hours after these feeds have been discontinued.
CUMH will only contact you if the results of the test are not normal, were unclear, or if not enough blood was collected. If this happens, more blood tests will be carried out and your baby may need to stay in hospital for a short time until the test results are obtained. If your baby tests positive for one of the rare conditions, a team of specialists will advise you on how to manage your baby’s condition and will follow your baby’s long-term progress.
Another heel prick test called the Beutler Test will be carried out on day 1 of life if your baby is at higher risk of having galactosaemia. In these circumstances, breastfeeding is not advised until the Beutler Test results are obtained. In the meantime, soya milk will be fed to your baby, and you are advised to express and store your breast milk to help initiate and establish breastfeeding.
VIDEO: What to expect during a new-born bloodspot screening test
Hearing Screening
You will be offered a hearing test for your baby. Hearing tests take place in the hearing screening room, beside the neonatal unit. It is not painful, and is carried out when the baby is settled or asleep. If your baby spends longer than 48 hour in the neonatal unit, they will need a more detailed screening test.
The test’s results can be either a ‘clear response’ or a ‘non-clear response’, which you will get at the time of the test. Generally, a ‘non-clear response’ is due to a temporary ear blockage, too much background noise, or an unsettled baby. This result will not delay discharge home, but will require a follow-up appointment in the audiology clinic as an outpatient. If your baby has any hearing difficulties, you will get all the necessary advice and support from the time of diagnosis.