Newborn Screening & Genetic Services

Newborn screening is an essential public health function designed to screen, identify and link babies to comprehensive, community based, culturally competent, family centered services.

The mission of the Newborn  Bloodspot  Screening Follow-up Program is to promote and protect the health of all newborns identified as having out-of-range results by the Newborn Screening Laboratory.

We communicate with parents, physicians, specialists and others to ensure that identified babies have access to timely and quality diagnostic testing and comprehensive care.  

In 1964 newborn screening for Phenylketonuria (PKU) was mandated.  Legislation and advances in technology have contributed to great growth in the newborn screening panel.  Today, NJ screens for 59 disorders with continued growth expected.

New Jersey law requires that every baby born in New Jersey be screened for disorders that can cause serious health problems. Therefore, the New Jersey Department of Health (DOH) Executive Order (EO) #190 in 2001 and DHSS Executive Order #199 in 2014 established the New Jersey Newborn Screening Annual Review Committee. DOH Executive Order #208 which supersedes EO #190 and #199 renamed the committee and established the Newborn Screening Advisory Review Committee (NSARC).

Purpose of the Committee

To assist the DOH in reviewing newborn screening policies and procedures and advise the Commissioner of Health on matters affecting newborn bloodspot screening (NBS) processes in New Jersey.