Newborn screening program: 99% of newborns screened in 2023; 29 confirmed cases reported

Courtney King, Bureau Chief for Family Health and Nutrition, presented New Hampshire's newborn screening annual report for calendar year 2023 on Oct. 24.

King said newborn screening operates under RSA 132:10-a and that the program screened 11,976 infants out of 12,070 births in 2023, a 99 percent screening rate. The remaining 1 percent reflects parental declinations, infants who transferred out of state before screening, and a small set of other unique circumstances (for example, use of another state's filter paper). The program confirmed 29 cases from the 2023 cohort.

King explained that the state contracts with the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School for laboratory testing and logistical support (UMass supplies filter paper cards and performs testing), and contracts with a metabolic specialist (Dr. Kritzer) to provide clinical consultation and guidance on follow-up. The newborn screening team includes state nursing and quality-improvement staff who review results daily and coordinate referrals to specialists when results are abnormal.

King said the program achieved a 4 percent reduction in missing demographic information on filter papers and increased screening timeliness to 98.7 percent, exceeding a 95 percent national benchmark. Planned improvements include provider and birth-facility education, streamlined screening-result requests, and continued engagement with midwives and birth centers to improve timeliness and data completeness.