About CDC’s Newborn Screening Laboratory Bulletin

At least 4 million newborns in the United States alone are tested annually for congenital diseases through newborn screening, and severe disorders are detected in about 5,000 babies. Newborn screening saves thousands of babies each year from disability and premature death. For 30 years, CDC’s Environmental Health Laboratory has been the only comprehensive source in the world dedicated to quality assurance and proficiency testing for newborn screening programs. In an effort to heighten awareness about the critical importance of newborn screening and to highlight CDC’s laboratory role in newborn screening worldwide, CDC has published the Newborn Screening Laboratory Bulletin.