Key points to remember

• newborn metabolic screening (often known as the Guthrie test or heel prick test) is available to all New Zealand babies
• the test is done 48 hours after your baby's birth (or as soon as possible after that)
• while most infants look perfectly healthy, there are some disorders that aren't visible
• early treatment of conditions can prevent potentially serious complications which can cause permanent damage or even death
• to screen for these disorders, a sample of blood is collected from your baby's heel

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Where to go for information about newborn metabolic screening

NSU (National Screening Unit)

The NSU website provides detailed information about the Newborn Metabolic Screening Programme, including the following resources:

• a six minute DVD - Newborn Metabolic Screening Programme: Information for parents¹
• a fact sheet (at right) - Newborn Metabolic Screening Programme: Your newborn baby's blood test²

The website also provides information on newborn metabolic screening in the following sections:

• About the programme³
• The programme today⁴
• Benefits of testing ⁵
• What is newborn metabolic screening?⁶
• What are we screening for? ⁷
• The screening (heel prick) test⁸
• Your baby's results⁹
• What happens to the blood spot card after screening?¹⁰
• Frequently asked questions¹¹

Website: http://www.nsu.govt.nz/

 

NZORD (New Zealand Organisation for Rare Disorders)

NZORD provides New Zealand's central starting point for information about rare disorders.

Website: http://www.nzord.org.nz/

 

International website

 

Screening, Technology And Research in Genetics (STAR-G), Hawaii

The Star-G or Newborn Screening Info website provides fact sheets on the metabolic disorders screened in the New Zealand Newborn Metabolic Screening Programme. It includes descriptions of each disorder and how they can be detected and treated. The website provides the following parent fact sheets:

•  Disorder fact sheets¹²

Website: http://www.newbornscreening.info/

 

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Acknowledgements

Starship Foundation and the Paediatric Society of New Zealand acknowledge the co-operation of the National Screening Unit in making this information available for families.

 

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Links   (these are the web addresses for the numbered links in the text above)

[1] http://www.nsu.govt.nz/Film_Files/ANNB/Heel_Prick_Parents.wm
v

[2] http://www.nsu.govt.nz/Files/ANNB/Your_newborn_babys_blood_t
est.pdf

[3] http://www.nsu.govt.nz/Current-NSU-Programmes/911.asp

[4] http://www.nsu.govt.nz/Current-NSU-Programmes/2093.asp

[5] http://www.nsu.govt.nz/Current-NSU-Programmes/933.asp

[6] http://www.nsu.govt.nz/Current-NSU-Programmes/2097.asp

[7] http://www.nsu.govt.nz/Current-NSU-Programmes/914.asp

[8] http://www.nsu.govt.nz/Current-NSU-Programmes/917.asp

[9] http://www.nsu.govt.nz/Current-NSU-Programmes/920.asp

[10] http://www.nsu.govt.nz/Current-NSU-Programmes/1582.asp

[11] http://www.nsu.govt.nz/Current-NSU-Programmes/924.asp

[12] http://www.newbornscreening.info/Parents/facts.html

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Endorsement

This fact sheet was endorsed by PSNZ - 24/09/2009

Copyright

Fact sheets are subject to copyright. In the interests of information sharing they may be copied but acknowledgement must be given to PSNZ and Starship Foundation.
© The Paediatric Society of New Zealand and Starship Foundation 2005 - 2010

The Paediatric Society of New Zealand http://www.paediatrics.org.nz

Starship Foundation http://www.starship.org.nz