Newborn Screening Program

Smiling baby lying in a colorful ball pit.

Today, newborns in Wisconsin are screened, or checked, for:

Most newborns are screened within the first days of life. The goal of the Wisconsin Newborn Screening program is to make sure that all Wisconsin newborns are screened, diagnosed, and treated for certain conditions.

The program is a partnership between Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) and Wisconsin State of Laboratory Hygiene. It relies on a Newborn Screening Advisory Group. Members include public health professionals, health care providers, and parents.

Learn more about the program and find helpful resources.

Wisconsin newborn screening updates and policies

Below are important updates to the Newborn Screening program.

Data request process

To request deidentified data from the Wisconsin Newborn Screening program, please complete the request form. You will be able to save the survey and return later. Once submitted, your request will be reviewed by the newborn screening team, and a determination will be made on whether your request can be filled.

Pompe disease is part of Wisconsin newborn screening

We have added screening for Pompe disease to the Wisconsin Newborn Screening program’s panel of conditions. This change went into effect Jan. 10, 2022. This means that all infants born in Wisconsin must be screened for Pompe disease within 24–48 hours after birth. Babies born outside of the hospital also must be screened.

To learn more about this rule, view Emergency Rule Issued to Add Pompe Disease to Newborn Screenings (PDF).

We report the newborn screening status for all Wisconsin births

In February 2015, we updated the policy for reporting the screening status of newborns. We sent a letter about this update to health care groups in the state. See Report Newborn Screening Status of Every Wisconsin Birth. (PDF).

The policy requires reporting the newborn screening status on every Wisconsin birth. This action helps make sure that all eligible newborns in the state have access to the right screenings in the required timeframe.

In response to the policy change, there are revised Wisconsin Newborn Screening Blood Collection Forms (cards). They let submitters report a newborn’s status as “not screened.” The revised forms also expand critical congenital heart disease screening data. See How to Complete the Blood Collection Form.

Questions about these changes?

Newborn screening FAQs (frequently asked questions)

Expand each question to learn more about newborn screening in Wisconsin.

Related topics

Last revised July 19, 2024