Title: Newborn Screening Process | Newborn Screening
Headings: Newborn Screening Process
Newborn Screening Process
When Does Newborn Screening Happen?
Where Does NBS Happen?
How Does NBS Happen?
Blood Spot Screening
Pulse Oximetry Screening
Hearing Screening
Is NBS the Same for All Babies in the U.S.?
Parent Options During Screening
Differences in the Newborn Screening Panel
Before Newborn Screening: Questions to Ask

Content: Measuring your baby’s blood oxygen level can help see if your baby needs urgent heart treatment. Following is a step-by-step guide explaining how pulse oximetry screening happens: Between 24 and 48 hours after birth, a health care provider will tell you that it is time for your newborn’s pulse oximetry screening. The health care provider will place a small wrap on your baby’s skin, usually around the right hand or wrist and on either foot. One side of the wrap has a light, and the other has a sensor. The health care provider will connect the wrap to a monitor that uses the sensor’s reading to calculate how much oxygen is in your baby’s blood. Using the numbers on this monitor, the health care provider can tell whether your baby might have CCHD. Babies who do not pass pulse oximetry screening the first time may repeat it or may need further testing. Results from pulse oximetry screening are ready as soon as the screening is done. If your baby does not pass pulse oximetry screening, a health care provider may recommend more testing to see if your baby’s heart and lungs are working well.