Test guide
Newborn Screening Panel (Inborn Errors of Metabolism)
Population screening of newborns from dried blood spots for treatable inborn errors of metabolism before symptoms appear.
What it is for
Detects treatable congenital metabolic, endocrine, and — in some programmes — severe combined immunodeficiency conditions in the first days of life, enabling intervention that prevents irreversible harm. Panels are defined per national programme; tandem mass spectrometry covers dozens of amino-acid and acylcarnitine disorders from one punch.
Limitations
Screening is not diagnostic: positives require immediate confirmatory testing at a referral centre. Panel scope varies by country and programme; a "screen negative" covers only the screened conditions. Timing matters — samples taken too early can produce false positives for some analytes.
Before you test
For programmes: collect per the national protocol’s timing (commonly 24–72 hours of life). For parents: the heel-prick sample is taken in hospital or at the first home visit; ensure the newborn screening card is completed correctly.
Health information only. This guide does not diagnose or replace advice from a healthcare professional.
Also known as
- newborn metabolic screening
- dried blood spot screening
- tandem MS screening
Reviewed products
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