Newborn Screening
For more than 40 years, the
New England Newborn Screening Programhas been dedicated to ensuring that every infant it screens has the opportunity for the highest quality of life possible. Since its inception in 1962 as a pioneer in large-scale population screening in Massachusetts, the program has grown to provide newborn screening services in seven states and Mexico. Today, we screen more than 160,000 babies each year for up to 50 disorders.
The New England Newborn Screening Program offers a broad scope of services to states for their authorized newborn screening programs. We pride ourselves on providing timely, high quality, low-cost lab screening, clinical follow-up and research to prevent or minimize the effects of conditions that can lead to death, mental retardation and other life-compromising sequlae in newborns.
Our services are designed to provide a comprehensive solution for public sector clients seeking external resources, as well as complement agency programs that require limited support in specific areas. For example, while some states rely on the full scope of our support—from specimen transport and lab testing through results reporting and physician support—we welcome working with others who choose a subset of services that best fit their needs.
Commonwealth Medicine’s New England Newborn Screening Program combines the experience of newborn screening professionals with the scientific and technological resources of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, one of the nation’s leading academic institutions. As a non-profit organization, proceeds from our services are channeled back into the program to help fund our public service efforts and medical research. This research includes program-specific evaluations as well as interstate and interdisciplinary collaborations to reduce the effects of detectable disorders in newborns.