Newborn Screening helps parents or guardians by screening for health conditions. Early screening helps to find some metabolic and other health conditions as soon as possible after birth, so they can be treated early when treatment is most likely to help. Babies found to be at risk for a treatable condition will get specialized care.

The Alberta Newborn Screening Program uses blood spot screening to test for conditions that you, your doctor, or midwife can’t see by just looking at your baby. Newborn screening is important, because it works to prevent health problems and improve the health of Alberta babies through early diagnosis and treatment.

Babies are screened for diseases such as phenylketonuria (PKU), congenital hypothyroidism, and cystic fibrosis shortly after birth. All provinces and territories screen for the most common health conditions that have treatments known to make a difference to a child’s long-term health. Not all screen for less common conditions.​

Other tests, such as newborn hearing tests, can tell whether a baby may need future services like hearing services. More than half of all cases of newborn hearing loss are caused by genetic factors that a child is born with.