PKU take 2

[myniyer]

So maybe some of you will remember my thread a couple of months ago on PKU and whether or not to test my newborn. We decided to test her and wouldn't you know it, BOTH tests came back inconclusive. : One was rejected for insufficient blood to soak the card, and the other for "layering" (when the tech covers blood with more blood). Ironically the two tests were done by two different people - our HB midwife and our NMD, both of whom have ample experience taking blood for PKU.

So now we have to decide whether to prick her AGAIN. I am leaning against it - at this point (5 weeks old and change) wouldn't we know if she had a problem? And how many times will we need to prick her for no reason - what if this next one is inconclusive for some reason too? My DH OTOH thinks we should keep testing until we get a result. WWYD?

[beansavi]

We had to do ours twice because it got "hung up in the mail too long" and was invalid. :

I hated doing it again, and since metabolic disorders are so rare, I almost didn't go...but my midwife said it was required by our state laws and we wanted to "work with the system" when we could, giving homebirthers a good name. He didn't cry as much the second time...it sucks, tho', I know...

Do what you feel is best....only you can decide that one, mama.

PS Did they warm the baby's foot first? Our doc did for ten minutes...

[nmm2112]

I was just reading through a natural birthing book and they recommended instead of the heel pricking (which they said this PKU test required a fair amount of blood and sqeezing to fill the card) that a venipucture would be easier on the little babe? Just a thought

[velcromom]

Originally Posted by nmm2112

I was just reading through a natural birthing book and they recommended instead of the heel pricking (which they said this PKU test required a fair amount of blood and sqeezing to fill the card) that a venipucture would be easier on the little babe? Just a thought

or, another tip I heard that totally makes sense when doing a heel prick: Instead spending many tortuous minutes of squeezing and milking the poor babe's heel, have mom or another nurse pick up the baby and hold them with the feet down - let gravity help.

[Panserbjorne]

We did the blood draw. ds slept through it and there was an ample amount of blood. I let my ND do the heel prick the second time-big mistake. This time (if I do it) we will do another blood draw.

[pamamidwife]

I would look at the disorders being tested for. When do they most likely show up? Nearly all of the ones in my state start showing SOME signs in the first month.

Then, you can best decide if it's something you feel is worth it.

[Peppamint]

OMG! I totally forgot about the PKU! We took dd2 to the ped for a checkup at one day old (not necessary, long story as to why I did ) and she had a 2w WBC Tuesday and the ped's office never even asked about PKU and I forgot.

Hmm, I wonder if I should bother.

[coco4cloth]

I had something similar happen with my last. The first came back inconclusive, second came back questionable, so we had to go have another done, guess what the a$$hole at the lab lost it: so she had it done for the 4th time. Of course everything was ok. I don't know what I'll do this time, but it was hell when we were going through it!