Newborn Screening
Blood Spot Program

Program Overview

The Kansas Newborn Screening (NBS) Blood Spot Program screens all babies born in Kansas for many different metabolic and genetic disorders at no cost to families. These conditions are serious but treatable with early detection and timely intervention. State law requires all babies born in the state to have a newborn screen shortly after birth to ensure all Kansas newborns have access to early intervention if they are identified as having one of these conditions. See a list of conditions currently screened by the Kansas Newborn Screening Program.

Background

Newborn screening began in Kansas in 1965 with the development of the dried blood spot test for Phenylketonuria (PKU). The dried blood spot collection allowed for simpler specimen collection, more convenient shipping, and better storage. Screening for PKU was so successful that additional conditions were added to the screening panel over time.

Goal

The program aims to identify babies who may have these conditions before symptoms appear. Early intervention before symptoms appear allows babies identified with a condition the best possible chance at healthy outcomes. Kansas is an implied consent state, so screening will occur for all newborns unless the parents or guardians refuse screening.

How It Works

A trained medical professional (such as a nurse or midwife) takes six drops of blood from a newborn’s heel shortly after birth. The dried blood spots are sent to the state lab for testing. The screening at the state lab is used to identify babies that may be at risk for one or more conditions. If a screening comes back as out-of-range, additional testing is usually required.

Cards with normal results are stored for no more than 30 days. Collection cards with out-of-range results are kept for laboratory validation purposes only.