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Genetic Conditions in Newborns – Do I Need Additional Screening?

Posted on September 26, 2014

In addition to conditions which hospitals are required to test, most hospitals will also test for 23 additional conditions.

You may have to pay for these supplemental tests yourself, depending on your insurance coverage. Most tests are covered by insurance, but if you are concerned about a specific condition due to your family history, you should speak to your doctor.

In the state of Pennsylvania, hospitals can test for these additional 23 rare but serious genetic conditions usually without drawing any extra blood from the baby. Each year, more than 12,000 infants’ lives in the US alone are saved and/or significantly improved by screening for genetic conditions. If there are any abnormalities in the screening results they will be followed up by the Pennsylvania Department of Health Community Health Nurses. This could give life-saving or changing care to a child with a rare condition that may have gone otherwise undiagnosed until it is too late to give effective treatment. If you have a family history of any genetic conditions, talk to your pediatrician about additional screening to prevent any surprise health problems down the road.

If your baby has suffered a complication you suspect is not related to something genetic, but rather a result of a birth injury, contact us today at 215-238-8700.