What are blood spot screening tests?

Blood spot screening tests are carried out on newborn babies in order to identify any serious conditions that might be present. If a condition is detected, early treatment can begin, which may prevent a condition from developing further.

Spots of blood are collected from all newborn babies by midwives. The baby's heel is pricked and small drops of blood are placed on to a special card. This is known as the Guthrie test. The card is then sent away to check for certain rare abnormalities such as those described below.

• Phenylketonuria (PKU) - this is an inherited condition that affects the metabolism, preventing the normal breakdown of proteins in food.
• Congenital hypothyroidism - this is when the body does not produce enough thyroid hormones, which help organs to grow.
• Sickle cell disorders - these affect the way that red blood cells form, leading to blocked blood vessels, and a lack of oxygen, in parts of the body.
• Cystic fibrosis (CF) - this is when the body coats certain organs, such as the pancreas and lungs, with a thick mucus.

If any of the tests return a positive result, you will be notified immediately and appropriate treatment can begin.