For new parents still at the hospital, it can be painful to watch a nurse come into their room with a needle and prick their infant’s tiny heel.
Once the nurse collects a few drops of blood on a piece of filter paper, however, parents quickly forget about the ordeal.
But the hospitals know just how crucial those few drops can be. They are a map for laboratories to test for two dozen conditions that include genetic diseases like cystic fibrosis and sickle-cell anemia.
Without such tests — and without fast turnaround times for results — some disorders can cause disability or even death within an infant’s first few weeks. One in 800 babies is born with such conditions.
“With some of these conditions we screen for, it is crucial to diagnose and start treating these babies within a few days,” said Dr. Michael Warren, director of maternal and child health for the Tennessee Department of Health, who said about 80,000 babies are born and tested in the state each year.