Quote:
Originally Posted by prettypixels  I can't understand the reasoning for not doing it; given that there are metabolic disorders that, if detected, can be FIXED,
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I agree. Although this is
slightly off-topic, I'd like to share some information that we found out only after our latest birth - wish we'd known it sooner!
The PKU test is much more accurate once the mother's milk is in. Doing it prior to discharging babies from hospital (or within 24-48 hours for other births, which may be out-of-hospital) contributes to a high false-positive result - we read up to 30% false positives.
This is what happened to one of our twins in December. So the health nurse arranges for a second test. Since it's administered when babe is around 12-days old, the milk supply is established, they don't have the problems with high false-positives. Everything was fine with our son, as it would be for most children.
We were upset, though, as this process meant he was subjected to TWO screaming sessions and heel-pricks (They actually said they needed to re-test his twin as well but didn't ever explain why, since only one had failed the first test). We did the warm compresses prior but it was still awful for them.
Since we have always left the hospital when babes are well under 24-hours old, we have always been given the cards and had to take babes to the local lab ourselves. If we had known about the high false-positives re: milk supply, we always would have just waited to have the test done when they are several days/one week old rather than 24-48 hours.
I see why the government does it this way: If they are concerned with overall public health, they want to make sure to catch everyone and so re-testing on a high false-positive rate is still easier for them to adminster than following-up/chasing people around to make sure they got the test done later (since almost everyone gets tested before the babies leave the hospital). But in our case, since we agree with the reasoning behind the test, it would have been nice to know enough to wait and have the test done only once.
This could be a reason for choosing to have the PKU test administered by a doctor, rather than the midwife attending the home birth.
: At my peds office they got it in one stick and it was over in a flash, vs a long drawn out screaming affair. My MW just doesn't do it often.
There should be an easier way!!!
