6 minute video clip - heel prick information for parents
National Screening Unit video
The Newborn Metabolic Screening Programme detects rare but life-threatening metabolic disorders with a blood test (heel prick test) at 48 hours after your baby's birth. Since 1969, almost all babies in New Zealand have had this screening. Early diagnosis means that treatment can start quickly, before a baby becomes sick. Metabolic disorders are hard to find without screening. See the page about the heel prick test at the Newborn Metabolic Screening Programme website [2].
Check the Newborn Metabolic Screening Programme website for detailed information, including:
The current conditions screened for are:
If your baby has one of these disorders, you will receive information about the disorder and how to treat it from a paediatrician.
If your baby is diagnosed with a metabolic disorder, coping is an ongoing process. Everybody copes in a different way.
See Coping when your child has a diagnosis of a chronic illness or disability [10] and Receiving a diagnosis for your child with special needs [11].
The Rare Disorders New Zealand website is a useful source of information about resources available for patients and their families/whānau living with a rare disorder in New Zealand.. See the section on patient services on the Rare Disorders New Zealand website [12].
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. See the page on disorder fact sheets at the Newborn Screening Information website [13].
Starship Foundation and the Paediatric Society of New Zealand acknowledge the cooperation of the National Screening Unit [14] in making this information available for families.
This page last reviewed 08 July 2019.
Email us [15] your feedback
Links
[1] https://www.nsu.govt.nz/system/files/resources/your-newborn-babys-blood-text-oct17.pdf
[2] https://www.nsu.govt.nz/pregnancy-newborn-screening/newborn-metabolic-screening-programme-heel-prick-test
[3] https://www.nsu.govt.nz/pregnancy-newborn-screening/newborn-metabolic-screening-programme-heel-prick-test/about-newborn
[4] https://www.nsu.govt.nz/pregnancy-newborn-screening/newborn-metabolic-screening-programme-heel-prick-test/how-process-works
[5] https://www.nsu.govt.nz/pregnancy-newborn-screening/newborn-metabolic-screening-programme-heel-prick-test/how-process-work-1
[6] https://www.nsu.govt.nz/antenatal-and-newborn-screening/newborn-metabolic-screening-programme-heel-prick-test/how-process-1
[7] https://www.nsu.govt.nz/pregnancy-newborn-screening/newborn-metabolic-screening-programme-heel-prick-test/about-test
[8] https://www.nsu.govt.nz/pregnancy-newborn-screening/newborn-metabolic-screening-programme-heel-prick-test/personal-stories
[9] https://www.nsu.govt.nz/pregnancy-newborn-screening/newborn-metabolic-screening-programme-heel-prick-test/frequently-asked
[10] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/coping-when-your-child-has-diagnosis-chronic-illness-or-disability
[11] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/receiving-diagnosis-your-child-special-needs
[12] https://www.raredisorders.org.nz/patient-support/patient-services/
[13] https://www.newbornscreening.info/disorder_fact_sheet/
[14] https://www.nsu.govt.nz/
[15] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/contact?from=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kidshealth.org.nz%2Fprint%2F393