A–Z Glossary

Heel-prick test

A heel-prick test collects a few drops of blood from a newborn’s heel to screen for selected inherited and metabolic conditions.

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Common medical tests for babies

Common medical tests for babies

Why babies have medical tests Medical tests in babies serve several purposes. Screening tests look for selected conditions in infants who appear well, because some metabolic, endocrine, genetic, hearing, or cardiac disorders may not cause immediate visible symptoms. Early identification can allow timely treatment, monitoring, or referral and may reduce the risk of serious complications. […]