Newborn screening: why clear communication matters as testing expands

By Felicity Boardman, Professor in Medicine, Ethics and Society, University of Warwick
Corinna Clark, Assistant Professor (Research Focussed), Warwick Medical School, Health Sciences, University of Warwick
Jane Chudleigh, Senior Lecturer in Child Health, Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care, King's College London

“I think you always believe it’s never going to happen to me.” That is how one parent described learning that their newborn baby had been identified as being at possible risk of a rare genetic condition through routine newborn screening.

Known as the newborn blood spot test, or heel prick test, this involves taking a small blood sample from a baby’s heel to check whether they may have one of several rare but serious conditions. These are conditions where early treatment can make a major difference.

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