Metabolic NBS
Newborn blood spot test
The newborn blood spot test involves taking a small sample
of your baby's blood to check it for 9 rare but serious health
conditions.
When your baby is about 5 days old, a healthcare professional
will prick your baby's heel and collect a few drops of blood on a
special card. This is sent off for testing.
Conditions which can be picked up from newborn screening include
six inherited metabolic conditions:
- Phenylketonuria (PKU)
- Medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MCAD)
- Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD)
- Isovaleric avidaemia (IVA)
- Glutaric aciduria type 1 (GA1)
- Homocystinuria (HCU)
Other conditions screened include:
- Cystic fibrosis
- Congenital hypothyroidism Sickle cell disease
- Sickle cell disease
For more information visit:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/newborn-screening/overview
