The newborn screening: what tests your baby needs and why

What are screening tests for newborns?

Tests that are given to babies after birth to detect the presence of different disorders and diseases. Shortly after birth, the hospital staff will analyze a small sample of blood taken from the heel to detect a number of possible disorders. Most of these disorders have no visible signs or symptoms after birth, but if detected early to tav of a test, physicians have an important advantage of starting to treat them before they can cause serious or permanent damage to the baby. The great Most babies do not suffer from any disease evaluated or disorder: Only one-tenth of one percent of them are diagnosed with some problem. And although the results of initial tests of your baby are not normal, the diagnosis is not definitive. These diagnostic tests provide preliminary information for doctors to decide whether testing is needed most profound and accurate, which will determine whether there is a problem.

How and when will you test my baby?

If you give birth in a hospital, medical staff will draw blood from your baby so that you do the necessary tests before you are discharged. If these results indicate that there may be a problem, they will contact you to explain what the next steps. If you and your baby you are discharged within 24 hours after delivery, you may be asked to return to the hospital one or two weeks later to finish making all the necessary tests. This is because some of the diseases that try to detect only begin to show signs from the second day of baby's life. You may also ask you to return for repeat tests after 2 weeks of baby's life, no matter when you are discharged, to make sure nothing has gone unnoticed. If your baby is born at home, you should take to a hospital, clinic or local health department during the first days of life to have blood drawn for testing. The ideal is to do the second or third day of baby's life, not wait more than seven days.

What tests are considered more important?

The tests are performed most commonly try to detect these diseases. Depending on the community in which they live and the hospital where you meet, some will be routinely and some call then only if your doctor believes there is a reason for that. Metabolism of amino acids . These disorders affect people who have difficulty in metabolizing amino acids, the raw material proteins: Phenylketonuria Homocystinuria Citrullinemia arginosuccínica acidemia Tyrosinemia type I hyperthyroidism and other diseases . These disorders affect a variety of organ systems from hormone function to the hearing: Hypothyroidism congenital biotinidase deficiency congenital adrenal hyperplasia classic galactosemia Hearing Loss Cystic Fibrosis You can read more detailed information on the conditions listed above in the article published by the March of Dimes . Metabolism of organic acids . People with these disorders have difficulties in metabolizing some chemicals such as amino acids, lipids, sugars and steroids, which leads to accumulation of toxic acids in the body, isovaleric acidemia Glutaric acidemia type I aciduria 3-hydroxy-3-metilglutárica, deficiency also known as HMG-CoA lyase, or aciduria of 3-OH 3-CH3 glutaric multiple carboxylase deficiency Methylmalonic acidemia mutase deficiency methylmalonic acidemia, CBLA and CBLB Deficiency of 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase propionic acidemia deficiency of beta- ketothiolase disorders of fatty acid metabolism . People with these disorders have some problems in converting fat into energy, an essential process used by our body when it is just normal fuel reserves, or glucose: Deficiency of acyl-CoA dehydrogenase medium chain acyl-CoA deficiency-chain dehydrogenase long deficiency of acyl-CoA dehydrogenase long-chain trifunctional protein deficiency defect Carnitine uptake Hemoglobinopathies . Those who suffer from these disorders have abnormal types or numbers of hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells responsible for transporting oxygen to body cells. Sickle cell Hb S / Beta-thalassemia disease Hb S / C

How to bath your baby

How often should I bathe my baby?
It is not necessary to bath a newborn day. In addition, the Spanish Academy of Pediatrics considers the abuse of soaps, excessive temperature, frequency or duration of the baths favor the dry skin and in some cases, the onset of dermatitis, especially in premature babies. The general consensus among Spanish pediatricians is that young babies need only bathe once or twice a week because, in reality, there are messy until they begin to crawl. However, both infants and babies a few months, you have to wash their hands frequently and carefully clean their genital area whenever their diapers changed, and the armpits and other skin folds where necessary. However, it is common practice in our country to bathe a baby a few weeks to many parents use daily and bathing as part of your nightly routine because it calms their babies. No problem with a daily bath, if this is what I prefer, whenever you use a special soap for babies and do not abuse these products. You can also bathe with water only.

However, it is best not to completely submerge the baby in a bathtub until it falls off the umbilical cord . During those early days, you can wipe your entire body with a very soft sponge or a wet washcloth. The use of soaps and other products is particularly risky if your baby is born premature because his skin is not yet fully developed. Check with your pediatrician to know how to take care the health of your baby, if born prematurely.


Where should I bathe my baby?
Instead of using the tub for adults, which requires you to kneel and lean in a very little bit comfortable, plus give you less control over the baby, the best while the baby is too young to use a baby bathtub put on a raised surface and strong, like a sturdy table or kitchen counter.

What is the best way to bathe my baby?
Here's how to do and what you need to make your task easier. With a little dedication and love, you'll see that bath time will become one of the activities you enjoy with your baby.

1. Gather all the items you need for swimming.
2. Fill the tub with 5 or 7 inches of warm water, not hot, at about 32 degrees Celsius.
3. Bring the baby to the bathtub that prepared completely.
4. Gradually immerses the baby in the water, use your hands to hold his neck and head. From time to time, poured a little water with a glass or plastic cup on his body to keep warm. Note that the soapy little body of a baby is very slippery, so it tries to hold it firmly.
5. Use very little soap (since it may cause dry skin) and wash her ​​body from top to bottom and front to back using your own hand, a very soft sponge or a wet washcloth. Then wash her ​​scalp in the same way and use a damp cotton ball or another washcloth to wipe the eyes and face. Wash him in a normal baby's genital area, because it requires no further washing the rest. If the corners of the eyes or nose he has accumulated some moquito or drainage dry, wet it several times with a cotton ball or washcloth to soften before cleaning.
6. Rinse thoroughly helping baby a sponge or clean cloth. 7. Wrap your little one in a hooded towel and dry it gently without rubbing the skin. If your skin is dry or has a bit of irritation in the diaper area , you can put a moisturizing lotion for babies