Princess Margaret Hospital
WA Newborn Screening Program
Information for Health Care Professionals
About the Program
The purpose of newborn screening is to test all newborn babies for early signs of a number of treatable disorders. A blood test is done to find out whether a baby has a disease or condition for which early treatment can prevent death, mental retardation, or physical disability. About one in every thousand babies born in Australia will have one of these treatable disorders.
Each year the WA Newborn Screening Program tests more than 25,000 babies and detects about 25 who need urgent assessment and treatment.
The pamphlet Your Newborn Baby's Screening Test is essential reading for all parents before their baby has the newborn screening test. The pamphlet is available in English and five other languages.
Newborn screening tests are provided free-of-charge. The tests are not compulsory, and parents may refuse the test on behalf of their baby, but this could unnecessarily risk the baby's health.
In December 2004, the program introduced expanded newborn screening for a range of amino acid, organic acid, and fatty acid oxidation disorders. This followed the evaluation and introduction of a new screening technology called tandem mass spectrometry (MSMS). An MSMS analyser is able to quickly measure a range of amino acids and acylcarnitines in a single dried blood sample.
Contact Information
| General Enquiries | Phone (08) 9340 8574 Fax (08) 9340 8420 |
| Principal Scientist | Phone (08) 9340 8473 |
| Clinical Director | Phone (08) 9340 8489 |
| Location | Department of Clinical Biochemistry Princess Margaret Hospital for Children Women's and Children's Health Service Roberts Road Subiaco WA 6008 Western Australia |
| Map | Please see our map of PMH |
| Postal Address | WA Newborn Screening Program Department of Clinical Biochemistry Princess Margaret Hospital for Children GPO Box D184 Perth WA 6840 Western Australia |
| Opening Hours | 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday (Closed public holidays) |
