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Consultation For Newborn Screening

Newborn screening is a blood analysis from the National Newborn Screening Program, for the diagnosis and treatment of some life-threatening disorders in the first weeks of life.

Some children are born with severe diseases that are very difficult to diagnose clinically and that later on can cause serious problems, such as mental retardation, neurological disorders, liver problems, among others.

Through this screening, offered by the National Health System, it is possible to diagnose 24 inborn errors of metabolism (genetic disorders), congenital hypothyroidism and cystic fibrosis, in the first week of life, in order to start early treatment, before the onset of symptoms.

UTERUS has a team of midwives available to perform the newborn screening, at our facilities or at home, through a blood sample from the heel of the baby. Once taken, the sample is sent to the Newborn Screening Metabolism and Genetics Unit of National Institute of Health – Doutor Ricardo Jorge, which performs the analyses, free of charge.

To help the baby deal with the discomfort associated with the blood collection, midwife’s invite the mothers to breastfeed their baby during the procedure or simply to hold the baby in their arms, so that they feel safer and calmer.

If the result is normal, 2 weeks after the sampling time the result can be checked at www.diagnosticoprecoce.pt, through the bar code number that was attached to the sample card.  Parents will only be contacted if a disorder from the panel is detected or if there is a need for laboratory confirmation.

Contact us here for more information.