When to Collect a Specimen
Refresh timing of specimen collection and special circumstances with blood spot testing.
Collection & Handling
Review sampling techniques, steps of collection, and shipping of blood spot specimens.
Completing the Collection Card
Review instructions for filling out the specimen collection card accurately and completely.
Order Supplies
Order specimen collection supplies, including kits, quotes, and forms for blood spot screening.
Shipping Specimens
Review shipping instructions for the quickest diagnosis and treatment of possible disorders.
Newborn blood spot screening can detect serious conditions early, allowing for prompt treatment and a better outcome for the child.
As a provider, it is important to understand the importance of newborn blood spot screening and your role in ensuring the health and well-being of infants long-term with this testing in the first two days.
Your role as a provider is to ensure that the specimen is collected correctly and submitted in a timely manner, as some disorders require early diagnosis and treatment to prevent the onset of symptoms.
By working with the State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa and following the specimen collection and handling guidelines, you can help ensure that infants receive the best possible welcome to life.
• Newborn Screening Provider / Parent Refusal Form
• Medical Professional Newborn Screening Results Form
Newborn Screening Training Materials and Resources for Hospital laboratory and Nursery Staff
- Newborn Screening Program Quality Improvement Checklist
- PowerPoint training on newborn screening specimen collection and card completion. Prepared by the contract laboratory, the State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa.
- Putting Babies First Through Newborn Screening - 10-minute video of newborn screening specimen collection and laboratory processes. Includes questions and answers between hospital staff and laboratory personnel and was created by the contract laboratory, the State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa.
Newborn Blood Spot Screening Program Resources
SOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH RESOURCES
- Newborn Screening Program Brochure
- Newborn Screening Flyer (no pictures)
- Newborn Screening Reminders for Home Births
- Genetic Services
- Birth facilities and providers can order Newborn Screening educational materials here under the "Family Health" category.
- Genetic Services in South Dakota
- Contact information
DESIGNATED NEWBORN SCREENING LABORATORY FOR SOUTH DAKOTA
The South Dakota Newborn Screening Program designated contract laboratory is the State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa (SHL). SHL is the only authorized laboratory to conduct newborn screening services for infants born in the State of South Dakota. All newborn screening blood spot specimens obtained in South Dakota must be submitted to SHL.
Based in Ankeny, IA, SHL provides highly specialized, life-saving newborn screening testing for babies born in Iowa, North Dakota, Alaska, and South Dakota. Newborn screening laboratory services are carried out 365 days/year, including holidays, weekends, and nights. Other newborn screening laboratory services include courier pick-up and provider notification of retesting and confirmatory testing recommendations.
- American Sickle Cell Anemia Association
- March of Dimes
- American Thyroid Association
- Children's PKU Network
- CARES Foundation
- National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)
- Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
- FOD Family Support Group
- Genetic Alliance
- Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD) Family Support Group
- National Urea Cycle Disorders Foundation
- Parents of Galactosemic Children, Inc.
- SCID, Angels for Life Foundation
- Immune Deficiency Foundation
The department exercises no control over the content of the following sites and provides the links for informational purposes only. This information is not a substitute for medical care.
- Baby's First Test
- Secretary's Advisory Committee on Heritable Diseases in Newborns & Children
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa(South Dakota Newborn Metabolic Screening Program Designated Lab)
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- American College of Medical Genetics - Newborn Screening ACT Sheets and Confirmatory Algorithms
- Genetics Home Reference – consumer-friendly information about the effects of genetic variations on human health
- Heartland Regional Genetics and Newborn Screening Collaborative – a network of genetics and newborn screening providers, advocates, and other stakeholders from Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and South Dakota
- Education Poster
- Specimen Collection Card Instructions
- Newborn Screening Dried Bloodspot Collection Form Education Webinar Video, March 21, 2017
To learn more about the services provided by South Dakota's Newborn Screening Program and the conditions it screens for, download this pamphlet.