Newborn Screening Program

Newborn screening is a simple blood test to identify babies who may have one of 24 treatable disorders. A newborn baby can look healthy but have one of these rare disorders.

For Families

If not treated, these 24 disorders can cause:

severe mental handicap;
growth problems;
sudden infant death; and
other health problems.

Early detection allows for treatment that may prevent or greatly reduce these problems.

Every newborn baby born in BC and Yukon qualifies for screening. Newborns are screened between 24 and 48 hours old, either in hospital or at home. There are about 40 babies born each year (one out of every 1,000) who are found to have one of these rare disorders.

Learn More

To learn more about newborn screening in BC:

download the Parent Information Sheet or
choose from the topics listed on the right.

For Health Care Providers

If you are a health care provider, please visit our Health Care Provider Resources section at Health Professionals > Professional Resources > Screening > Newborn (or use the button below), for resources, blood spot cards, and forms related to blood collection.

Health Care Provider Resources

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