Shortly after birth, the baby should perform a series of tests to identify changes that indicate the presence of genetic or metabolic diseases, such as phenylketonuria, sickle cell anemia, and congenital hypothyroidism, for example. In addition, these tests can help identify vision and hearing problems and the presence of stuck language, for example.
Mandatory tests for the newborn are the test of the foot, type of blood, ear, eye, small test of the heart and tongue and are indicated in the first week of life, preferably always in motherhood, as if if changes were identified, treatment can be initiated immediately afterward, promoting the normal development and quality of life of the baby.
- The heel puncture test is a mandatory test.
- Indicated between the 3rd and 5th day of the baby’s life.
- The test is based on blood drops taken from the baby’s heel and is used to identify genetic and metabolic diseases such as phenylketonuria.
- Congenital hypothyroidism.
- Sickle cell disease.
- Congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
- Cystic fibrosis and biotinidase deficiency.
There is also the extended baby test, which is indicated when the mother has had changes or infections during pregnancy, and it is important that the baby get tested for other conditions. This test is not part of the mandatory free exams and must be done in private clinics.
Learn more about the heel bite test
The hearing test, also known as a neonatal hearing test, is a free, mandatory test offered by SUS to identify hearing problems in infants.
This test is done in the maternity ward, preferably between 24 and 48 hours of the baby’s life, and does not cause pain or discomfort in the baby, and is usually done during sleep. Learn more about the ear test.
The vision test, also known as Red Reflex Test, is usually offered free of charge by maternity or health centers and is done to detect vision problems, such as cataracts, glaucoma or strabia. This test is usually done by the pediatrician in the maternity ward. Understand how the view test is performed.
Blood type is an important test to identify your baby’s blood type, which can be A, B, AB, or O, positive or negative. The test is done with umbilical cord blood as soon as the baby is born.
In this test, it is possible to trace the risk of blood incompatibility, that is, when the mother has a negative FC and the baby is born with a positive FC, or even when the mother has a blood type O and the baby, type A or B. Among the problems of blood incompatibility, we can highlight the possible picture of neonatal jaundice.
The small heart test is mandatory and free, it is done in the maternity ward between 24 and 48 hours after birth. The test involves measuring the oxygenation of the newborn’s blood and heart rate using an oximeter, which is a kind of wristband, which is placed on the baby’s wrist and foot.
If changes are detected, the baby is referred to an echocardiogram, which is a test that detects defects in the baby’s heart.
The language test is a mandatory test performed by a speech therapist to diagnose language brake problems in newborns, such as anchyloglosia, popularly known as the language language. This condition can interfere with breastfeeding or compromise the act of swallowing, chewing and speaking, so if detected quickly, it is already possible to indicate the most appropriate treatment. Learn more about the language test.
The hip test is a clinical exam in which your pediatrician examines your baby’s legs. It is usually done in the maternity ward and during the first consultation with the pediatrician.
The purpose of the test is to identify changes in hip development that can then cause pain, limb shortening, or osteoarthritis.