Please explore this page to find guides, resources, and forms to help you navigate your unique role in the newborn screening process. If you need additional information, please contact the NBS Follow-up program team at 517-335-4181 or newbornscreening@michigan.gov.
Newborn Screening (NBS) is a vital public health program required by law that screens all newborns for rare but serious disorders. Hospital partners play a crucial role in ensuring the success of the screening process. As a trusted part of the health care team, it is important to understand the benefits of NBS and the impact of early identification and treatment of these rare disorders. This video explains the impact this test has on families and their children. To hear more from families about their personal experiences, please visit: Many Voices, One Vision.
This webpage contains resources that are intended for hospital professionals participating in the newborn screening process.
Three Michigan newborn screening courses can be accessed online and offer nursing contact hours. Titles of the trainings are:
This form should be used to communicate updated information about an infant or newborn screen with the NBS Follow-up Program.
Replacement NBS card(s) can be requested due to expiration, card errors, damaged/defective cards, or poor-quality collections by submitting one of the forms below:
Accurate completion of the newborn screening card and quality blood spot collection is critical. All specimens are examined for quality upon receipt at the newborn screening lab. Unsatisfactory specimens will require a repeat specimen collection. The following resources provide guidance and tips for card completion and specimen collection:
Initial and repeat blood spot screening cards must be purchased and are available in packs of 25.
In addition to newborn screening cards, the NBS program offers a variety of parent education brochures and infographics for hospitals to order at no cost. At a minimum, each family should receive the Michigan Newborn Screening, critical congenital heart disease, and the Michigan BioTrust for Health brochure. Materials are available in English, Spanish, and Arabic.
Please visit the NBSOnline web store to place orders for newborn screening cards and educational materials.
After newborn screening is complete, families may also choose to have the left-over blood spots destroyed or request that they be returned to their family for personal use. These options ensure that families have autonomy over the storage and use of blood spots. Storage and consent decisions can be changed at any time by completing the forms listed below:
The Newborn Screening Dashboard is a convenient way to review hospital blood spot and critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) screening metrics. The Dashboard is updated quarterly.
Three Michigan newborn screening courses can be accessed online and offer nursing contact hours. Titles of the trainings are:
As trusted providers, it is important for community birth providers to educate their clients about newborn screening throughout their pregnancy. Early education allows families to recognize the importance of screening and have their questions answered prior to collection. Resources are available to help you introduce the screening process to families. More information on newborn screening education can be found under the "Prenatal Education Resources" tab of this webpage.
This infographic explains what families can expect for their child's newborn screening and includes a list of conditions that are tested for.
Families may have questions about what disorders are included on the Michigan newborn screening panel. The link below includes information about all of the conditions and fact sheets that provide more information about these health problems.
Accurate completion of the newborn screening card and quality blood spot collection is critical. All specimens are examined for quality upon receipt at the newborn screening lab. Unsatisfactory specimens will require a repeat specimen collection. The following resources provide guidance and tips for card completion and specimen collection:
Midwives are required to have a supply of homebirth kits on hand for the collection of newborn screens. The kits contain necessary items to perform the specimen collection, as well as educational information for the family.
Orders for NBS kits can be placed online using the QR code on this page or via the newborn screening ordering form. For questions related to kit orders, please call 517-335-1400 or email NBSorders@Michigan.gov.
Payment for screens are made to the newborn screening program by the family. The newborn screening program does not bill insurance. Payment options to review with clients are included in the kit. Payment options include:
Newborn screening lab reports are mailed or faxed to the submitter once testing is complete. A statement of understanding form must be completed to receive results via fax.
MDHHS Statement of Understanding Automatic Fax Transmission Option
Carefully review results with the family. If follow-up requests are made, such as obtaining a repeat collection, complete those steps as quickly as possible.
The NBS Program ensures that all infants with positive newborn screens receive rapid follow-up through a designated coordinating center. If a strong positive result is detected, the primary care provider and/or community birth attendant is immediately notified. Notification includes the screening results, action required, and the designated coordinating center contact information. The coordinating centers are responsible for arranging prompt medical management that includes confirmatory diagnostic testing, clinical evaluations by medical specialists, and treatment. To learn more information about Michigan’s follow-up coordinating centers, including contact information, please click here.
After newborn screening is performed at the state laboratory, any unused blood spots (including parts of blood spots) are stored for up to 100 years. Stored blood spots can be used in a few ways:
The BioTrust for Health facilitates research that drives medical and public health advancements. Families' consent allows for studies that improve health outcomes for all. To help you and your clients better understand the BioTrust for Health and how it works, please browse the educational materials listed below:
After newborn screening is complete, clients may also choose to have the left-over blood spots destroyed or request that they be returned to their family for personal use. These options ensure that families have autonomy over the storage and use of blood spots. Storage and consent decisions can be changed at any time by completing the forms listed below:
The information below is intended for pediatricians, family physicians, primary care providers and other physicians who work with the Michigan Newborn Screening (NBS) Program. NBS is a critical public health program required by law that screens all babies at 24-36 hours of age for rare but serious disorders. Providers hold an important role in receiving and communicating NBS results to Michigan families. Below you will find information on requesting, receiving and communicating results from the NBS program, along with additional educational materials that may be of assistance.
The NBS program will be transitioning the 2nd-tier testing process for cystic fibrosis from a 60-mutation panel analysis to a 139-mutation panel analysis. This change is anticipated to go live in March of 2025. This document includes the list of CFTR mutations that will be included on this revised panel.
If you are not the provider recorded on the NBS card or listed as the medical home in MCIR, the NBS Report Request Form must be completed, signed by the medical provider, and faxed to number listed above. The NBS Program does not give results over the telephone.
NBS results are reported to the primary care provider listed on the NBS card. It is important to ensure that you have received results for all newborns in your practice, as the recorded provider may be incorrect. The listed provider office will be faxed a notification for abnormal results. Read the “action required” on the report carefully for next steps.
You may need to:
The Newborn Screening Highlights for Primary Care Providers- Infographic contains additional NBS information for providers navigating abnormal newborn screening results. .
Providing education about newborn screening (NBS) is critical to ensuring that families are aware of the importance of this life-saving public health program. Effective education helps families understand the NBS process, the types of results they may receive, and being aware of their choices after screening is complete.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) found that expectant parents prefer to receive NBS information during prenatal care visits and released the following recommendations regarding incorporating newborn screening education into obstetric practice:
“Obstetrician-gynecologistsand other obstetric care providers should make resources about newborn screening available to patients during pregnancy. Information can be disseminated through informational brochures and electronic sources and through review or discussion at some time during prenatal care. Integrating education about newborn screening into prenatal care allows parents to be prepared for having their child undergo screening as well as for receiving newborn screening test results.” (ACOG Committee Opinion No. 778, 2019)
A variety of information and educational materials are available to help providers discuss NBS at different time points during and after pregnancy:
Explore the tabs here for recommendations on information that should be shared with new and expecting parents. Each tab highlights information that providers should share with families to help them be prepared for their newborn screening journey.
MDHHS recommends that providers share the following information with families before delivery:
The following documents can be shared with families during the prenatal period. These documents are available to order in bulk free of charge through the Newborn Screening Online Ordering System:
MDHHS recommends that providers share the following information with families to help them understand the newborn screening processes that happen shortly after birth:
MDHHS recommends that providers share the following information with families to prepare them for what happens after newborn screening:
Below are print and online resources that can be shared with families before delivery. Brochures can be ordered in bulk free of charge on the Newborn Screening Online Ordering page.
This infographic explains what families can expect for their child's newborn screening and includes a list of conditions that are tested for.
Families can view this YouTube video to learn more about the Michigan Newborn Screening Program and what they can expect on their screening journey!
Families can view this YouTube video to learn more about the BioTrust for Health Program and their choice regarding the use of left over blood spots in health-related research studies!
Newborn Screening Annual Reports
