Most babies will not have any of the conditions that are checked during screening.
If your baby's screening results are negative
If your baby has a negative screening result this means that your baby is not suspected of having any of the conditions that we screen for.
We will not contact you with the heel prick results. But you can ask your public health nurse (PHN) for the results if you wish.
Like all screening, the heel prick will not pick up every case of the conditions screened for. If you have any concerns about your baby's health you can contact your GP.
If your baby's screening results are positive
If your baby has a positive screening result for any of the conditions, a nurse or doctor will contact you.
This usually happens a few days after your midwife or PHN sends your baby's blood sample to the lab.
A positive screening result does not always mean your baby has one of the conditions. Doctors will do more tests to confirm if your baby has the condition. Your baby may need to stay in hospital during this time.
If your baby has one of the conditions, they will be referred to a specialist centre. A team of health professionals will work with you to manage your baby’s condition.
For most conditions, your baby will be referred to Children's Health Ireland at Temple Street, Dublin.
If your baby might have cystic fibrosis, they'll be referred to a hospital in Dublin, Cork, Limerick or Galway. This depends on where you live.
With early diagnosis and treatment most babies with these conditions go on to live healthy lives.
False positive result
A false positive is when heel prick screening identifies a baby as positive, but further tests show that they do not have the condition.
False negative result
A false negative is extremely rare.
A false negative is when heel prick screening identifies a baby as negative, but the baby does have the condition.