If newborns frequently show various abnormal symptoms, it may be necessary to conduct examinations. Some parents are very curious because doctors require heel blood collection during the examination, and they worry that this posture may affect the blood circulation system of the baby. What does heel blood collection in newborns check? How long does it take for the heel blood of newborns to produce results?

The heel blood taken from newborns is generally used for neonatal screening, which can detect whether newborns have congenital hereditary diseases as early as possible through the screening of phenylketonuria and thyroid hormone levels, and carry out immediate treatment to promote their happy growth.

Although some congenital hereditary metabolic diseases have a low incidence rate, they can severely affect brain development and may cause lifelong disability. They cannot be diagnosed before birth, and there are no symptoms in the early stages after birth. Once an abnormal condition is detected, the central nervous system has already suffered unavoidable damage, losing the opportunity for treatment. Therefore, if early examination and early treatment can be carried out after birth, it can prevent patients from suffering harm and prevent intellectual disabilities.

The heel blood of newborns is generally examined 3 days after birth, and the results are usually obtained in 10 to 15 days. If there is an abnormality in the screening center, the family will be notified by phone to go for a follow-up examination. If there is no problem, then after one month, parents can check the results online according to the address on the screening card or go to the screening hospital’s laboratory to inquire about the results.

Firstly, after the newborn is born at home, is there a heel blood collection for examination?

Friend, one day suddenly asked me this question. Of course, it is, not only our baby needs to be collected for heel blood examination, but every newborn needs to be collected for heel blood examination. However, the examination items and costs in each region will have certain differences.

Secondly, it is very painful to see the baby collecting blood. Can blood from other locations be used instead of heel blood if so much blood is collected at one time?

It is possible, but the blood from other locations is not as rich as the heel blood, making it convenient to collect enough blood, and the veins are also easy for doctors to find. Moreover, the sensory nerves on the baby’s sole are not as sensitive as other locations, causing less harm to the baby.

Thirdly, what kind of examination needs to be done?

The heel blood mainly screens for phenylketonuria (PKU) and congenital hypothyroidism (CH) as two main items. These two diseases, if not treated promptly, can cause serious damage to the baby, leading to developmental delays, even lifelong disability and intellectual disabilities, and other serious consequences. If treated promptly, these serious adverse effects can be prevented.

Some hospitals, in addition to using heel blood screening for these two diseases, will also conduct examinations for other types of hereditary metabolic diseases in newborns. For example, 19 types of amino acid metabolism diseases, 14 types of oleic acid metabolism diseases, and 15 types of citrate metabolism diseases. For detailed information, please refer to the local hospital.

The heel blood screening of newborns is conducted 72 hours after birth, collecting heel blood for examination, generally within 3 to 7 days after the newborn is born. If the baby cannot be bled for various reasons, the latest time for blood collection should not exceed 20 days after the newborn is born.

The doctor said that it is very necessary to examine the heel blood, and once phenylketonuria (PKU) and congenital hypothyroidism (CH) are identified, interventions and treatments can be carried out before the baby shows clinical symptoms, with a treatment rate of 95%.