Sec.19a-55-1. Newborn infant health screening

(a) The administrator or other person in charge of any institution providing medical care of newborn infants twenty-eight days of age or younger shall cause to be taken from every newborn infant in its care a blood specimen for tests pursuant to section 19a-55 of the Connecticut General Statutes.

(b) A newborn infant shall be tested for the following: phenylketonuria and other metabolic diseases, hypothyroidism, galactosemia, sickle cell disease, maple syrup urine disease, homocystinuria, biotinidase deficiency, congenital adrenal hyperpla-sia, amino acid disorders, organic acid disorders and fatty acid oxidation disorders, including, but not limited to, 3-Hydroxy Long-Chain ACYL-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency (LCHADD), Medium-Chain ACYL-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency (MCADD), Tyrosine and such other tests for inborn errors of metabolism as shall be prescribed by the Commissioner of Public Health.

(c) Testing shall be subject to the following conditions:

(1) Materials for the collection of the specimen and forms to accompany the specimen shall be of a type furnished by or acceptable to the Department of Public Health.

(2) The specimen shall be collected prior to the newborn's discharge from the institution. If the newborn is discharged prior to 24 hours of life, the specimen shall be collected as close to the time of discharge as practicable. If the newborn's medical condition permits, the specimen shall be collected before the fourth day of life, transfer to another institution, transfusion of blood or blood products, or dialysis. If the newborn expires before discharge from the institution, the specimen shall be collected as soon as practicable after death.

(3) Each specimen shall be submitted within forty-eight (48) hours after collection to the Department of Public Health Laboratory, or to a laboratory approved by the Department of Public Health.

(4) Information accompanying each specimen shall identify for future reference the newborn from whom the specimen was taken, the time and date of birth, the time and date of specimen collection, by whom the specimen was collected, and the primary care provider after discharge from the institution.

(5) Laboratory tests shall be performed by methods approved by the Department of Public Health.

(6) Records of tests shall clearly indicate the disorders tested for, and the results thereof, and shall be maintained for a minimum of five years.

(7) The primary care provider identified in subdivision (4) of this section shall receive notification of any abnormal test result.

(8) Each specimen shall be stored at the laboratory of the Department of Public Health for not less than six months after testing.

(Adopted effective September 1, 2006)