Alberta’s Newborn Metabolic Screening (NMS) Program is about health care providers working together with parents and guardians to screen for treatable conditions.
The NMS Program:
* Population based screening programs offer a screening test(s) to all individuals in a defined population with agreed upon policies, protocols, quality management, monitoring and evaluation methods.
The newborn blood spot screening pathway makes sure all screened infants who may have one of the treatable conditions get clinical assessment, diagnostic testing and early treatment if needed. It consists of the following steps:
Timely screening helps find conditions that can be treated early when the treatment can help an infant the most. Without timely screening and intervention, infants with treatable conditions may suffer irreversible health problems and possibly death soon after birth.
Early detection and treatment of screened conditions can make the difference between healthy development and lifelong impairment.
Support for blood spot collection staff (such as Public Health Nursing Services, FN communities, midwives and Alberta Precision Laboratories [APL]) across Alberta.
Support for physicians and midwives to understand the treatable conditions screened for by the program.
Program Pathway
Program Resources
Program Reports
Knowledge Exchange