No matter how healthy a newborn might look, it's essential they are checked for unexpected medical conditions. Newborn screening is the practice of testing every newborn for certain harmful or potentially fatal disorders that aren't otherwise apparent at birth. When such conditions are detected early, diagnosed and treated, newborns stand a much better chance of avoiding disabilities and living a full, productive life.
The SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) Newborn Screening Program now screens for 54 disorders. The lab test panel that checks for hidden health disorders in newborns is called Newborn Bloodspot Screening.
The program originally began testing for just one disorder, phenylketonuria (PKU). The test panel has since evolved to include multiple disorders such as cystic fibrosis (CF), congenital hypothyroidism, congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), hemoglobin diseases and traits such as sickle cell, severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), various inborn errors of metabolism, Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), and most recently Krabbe Disease.
For a complete list and description, please see the Newborn Screening Manual :