Parents Need Help Understanding Abnormal Newborn Screening Results

State newborn screening programs have expanded dramatically recently. A prior study reported that most states increased the average screening from 5 to 24 heritable conditions between 1995 and 2005 (Pediatrics 2006; 118:448). In 2010, a federal advisory panel recommended newborn screening for 30 core conditions. To describe parents' experiences when receiving an abnormal screening result, researchers interviewed 30 mothers and 14 fathers of infants who were referred for evaluation because of a positive screen for a newer metabolic disorder from the screening panel. The first interview was usually conducted after parents were notified of an abnormal screening result but before confirmatory testing was completed. The second interview was cond…