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Mandatory Hiv Testing Issues In State Newborn Screening Programs, John M. Naber, David R. Johnson

Journal of Law and Health

The newborn screening model is fairly straightforward. Typically, before the infant is discharged from the hospital (around 24 to 36 hours of age), heel stick blood is placed on special filter paper, dried, and mailed to the state health department for testing. Medical and laboratory research has led to the discovery that other diseases could also be screened in newborns using these dried blood specimens. Currently, all states and the District of Columbia test all newborns for at least PKU and congenital hypothyroidism. There are generally five criteria to satisfy before a disease is considered appropriate for newborn screening: 1. …