Baby screening to be expanded

The screening carried out through the heel prick test is to be extended across England to cover more genetic diseases.  At the moment, babies are screened for a number of conditions including cystic fibrosis and sickle cell disease but four more genetic diseases will be included from now onwards too.  Wales will also extend screening this month, but Scotland and Northern Ireland have not yet decided whether they will follow.

You can find out more about the screening tests here – http://newbornbloodspot.screening.nhs.uk/