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Screening Results

Understanding your newborn's screening results

Parents should be told by hospital staff whether their newborn has passed or failed the pulse oximetry screen and hearing screen before they leave the hospital. Since the heel stick has to be sent to the Newborn Screening Laboratory and analyzed, it usually takes about 5 to 7 days before results are available. Parents should be given the results of their infant's heel stick screening during their first pediatric well-child appointment. 

If your baby passes the...

Pulse Oximetry Screen

Congrats! This means your newborn had normal blood oxygen saturations, which indicates that their heart is working normally.

NOTE: Pulse oximetry cannot identify every child with CCHD. Most babies who pass the pulse oximetry screen will not have CCHD. However, parents should know the signs of CCHD: blue color to the skin, fingernails or lips, fast breathing and/or poor feeding or weight gain. If you notice any of these signs, please contact your baby's doctor.

Hearing Screen

Congrats! This means your newborn did not show signs of hearing loss. No further hearing screening will be needed during the newborn period. Hearing screens will still need to be done periodically throughout childhood to ensure hearing loss has not developed later on. Contact the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program with any questions.

If the heel stick screening results are normal...

Congrats! This means your newborn did not screen positive for any of the 50+ conditions screened through the heel stick! No further screening is needed at this time.

If your baby does NOT pass the...

Pulse Oximetry Screen

If your newborn does not pass their pulse oximetry screen, another pulse oximetry screen will be performed one hour after the first failed screen. If your newborn fails this rescreen as well, an echocardiogram should be performed as soon as possible to rule-out a CCHD. Ideally, the echocardiogram should be performed before you leave the hospital. 

Hearing Screen

This means your newborn may have hearing loss. Confirmatory testing will be needed to confirm that hearing loss is present in your newborn. The hospital staff should refer you to an audiology specialist to have the confirmatory testing done. If you need any assistance with the follow-up process for your child, call the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Follow-up Coordinator at  317-233-1264 or email at SAllgeier@isdh.in.gov . You may also want to visit the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program page for more information.

If the heel stick screening results are abnormal (presumptive positive)...

If the heel stick results are abnormal (presumptive positive) it means your newborn's screen showed signs that they might have a genetic condition. This information will be communicated directly to your baby's primary care provider and the birthing facility staff within 7 days from the time the heel stick was performed.

Before a diagnosis can be made, confirmatory testing will first need to be done. You should be contacted by your newborn's primary care physician or the birthing facility who performed the screening to set up a repeat heel stick screen or to see a specialist who will perform confirmatory testing. 

 

How to request newborn screening results

Families should ask their pediatrician or family care provider for their infant's newborn screening results during their first well-child check visit. Every physician and midwife in the state of Indiana is allowed access to the online application that houses newborn screening results. 

Requesting newborn screening results for NCAA activities

Since the screening results for NCAA activites are typically for older children and young adults, the process to obtain them can take up to 30 days. We recommend requesting results for NCAA activities as soon as possible to avoid any delay. 

Families who need newborn screening results, which include sickle cell results, for NCAA activities should have their physician fax a request to the NBS Laboratory. The physician's fax to the NBS Laboratory should include the child's name, date of birth, mother's name, and name of the facility where the child was born. The physician will fax this request to the NBS Laboratory at 317-321-2495.

If the child was not born in Indiana, the physician will need to contact the other state's newborn screening program for results. If you do not have access to a physician, see the section below about requesting results without a medical provider.

If you do not have access to a medical provider

To request your child's newborn screening results without the assistance of a medical provider's office, please fill out the Genomics and Newborn Screening Access Request Form and email the completed forms to the Newborn Screening Program at ISDHNBS@isdh.IN.gov along with a scanned copy of a valid form of identification (see page 2 of the Access Request form for a list of accepted ID's).

This form can also be found on the State Forms page.

If your physician is not set up with access to INSTEP 

Families should ask the physician to fax a request to GNBS at 317-234-2995. To make this process as quick as possible, please have the provider include your child's name, date of birth, mother's name, and name of the facility where the child was born.

 

Need Assistance?

Please contact our NBS Follow-up Care Coordinator with any questions or for assistance with requesting newborn screening results.

NBS Follow-up Care Coordinator: call 317-954-4564 or email EJackson2@isdh.IN.gov.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Page last revised 03/12/2021 by JHaller