General Procedures for the Newborn Screening

Section 661.30  General Procedures for the Newborn Screening a)         Pursuant to the Newborn Metabolic Screening Act [410 ILCS 240], the physician in attendance at or immediately after the birth of the newborn shall have primary responsibility for seeing that a newborn is screened in accordance with this Part. The physician may delegate the newborn screening to the medical care facility administrator or to the administrator's designated representative, such as a member of the nursery staff, the pediatrics staff, the laboratory director, the obstetrical supervisor, or other medical care facility official. b)         A newborn blood spot screening meeting the requirements for testing shall suffice for all tests other than the newborn hearing screening and newborn heart screening that are done at a medical care facility. c)         Pursuant to the Newborn Metabolic Screening Act, if the newborn is not born in or admitted to a hospital or when there is no primary care provider in attendance at or immediately after the birth, the primary care provider caring for the newborn during the first month of life shall be the individual responsible for seeing that newborn screening is performed within thirty (30) days after birth, unless a different time period is medically indicated. When there is no primary care provider caring for the newborn during this period, the parents or legal guardian are responsible.  Local health authorities or the Department will assist the parents or legal guardian in having the newborn screened. [410 ILCS 240/2(a-5)]