Bureau of Public Health Laboratories

About

Newborn screening (NBS) is a population-based, preventive public health program provided in every state in the United States and in many countries throughout the world. The intent of the Florida Department of Health Newborn Screening Program is to screen, identify, diagnose, and manage newborns at risk for selected disorders that, without detection and treatment, can lead to permanent developmental and physical disabilities or death. The goal of newborn screening is to facilitate prevention of developmental impairments, delayed physical growth, severe illness, and death through early detection and intervention. With appropriate and timely treatment, newborns identified through the Newborn Screening Program will have the opportunity to live healthy lives and reach their potential.

Since early detection and treatment are so important with many of the conditions on Florida’s newborn screening panel, be sure to tell the hospital the correct name and phone number of your baby’s doctor. Your baby’s doctor will be contacted if additional testing is required. An abnormal screening result may not mean your baby has a condition. It is important to follow the doctor’s instructions immediately to determine if treatment could be necessary. Be sure you ask for your baby’s screening results at their first wellness appointment.

Health Care Providers Requesting Newborn Screening Laboratory Report
Health care providers may obtain electronic copies of their patients’ NBS results from www.fnsr.net. Registration is simple and may be completed via a link on the FNSR home page. Results are available from 2014 through present.

For issues with accessing the FNSR site, please call 850-245-4201 and select Option #1. For other questions about screening results retrieved from FNSR.net, please call 866-804-9166.

Newborn Screening Policies
Opt-Out: While it is not encouraged, parents may refuse newborn screening for their newborn for any reason. The person responsible for collecting the specimen must collect a written refusal from the parent that must be put in the medical record. A specimen card with completed demographic information should still be submitted, with the appropriate bubble filled in to indicate “Refused.”

Storage and Use of Dried Blood Spot: After the dried blood spots have been screened for all conditions, the residual blood specimens are stored for six months, after which they are destroyed. The Department must maintain records of screening results and follow-up testing for at least seven years. The Department of Health safeguards all information to ensure confidentiality of individuals screened.

NOTICE: All Users of Newborn Screening Specimen Collection Cards (DH677)
Specimens collected on expired cards will be REJECTED. Discard all expired specimen cards.

ACCEPTABLE cards have an expiration date of OCTOBER 2026

 

If additional specimen cards are needed, fax an order form for newborn specimen collection cards (DH 677) to the BPHL-Jacksonville Newborn Screening Laboratory.
Fax: 904-791-1637
Phone: 904-791-1572

Contact Information for Newborn Screening Laboratory:
Telephone: (904) 791-1645
Fax: (904) 791-1644

Mail:
Department of Health
Newborn Screening Laboratory
1217 N. Pearl St.
Jacksonville, FL. 32202