Louisiana

Disorders Screened in Louisiana
Louisiana does NOT provide the full panel of screenings recommended by Save Babies Through Screening Foundation. Parents should seek supplemental screening for the disorders and conditions not included in the state's panel.

The disorders that are screened, or likely to be detected, by your state's program are identified by the National Newborn Screening and Genetics Resource Center in simplified format or in PDF format.

If you have trouble with the PDF file, then
Download the FREE version of Adobe Reader.

Louisiana Newborn Screening Public Service Announcement

If your baby was born in late August or early September, 2005, and you were affected by Hurricane Katrina, your baby’s newborn heel-stick screening test may have been missed. Due to Hurricane Katrina the Louisiana Office of Public Health has not been able to perform the newborn screening tests in its laboratory in New Orleans. Specimens are currently being sent to the University of Iowa Hygienic Laboratory for analysis. Parents of all children born between August 15 and September 21, 2005, are urged to check with their pediatrician or the hospital of birth to determine whether test results have been received. If not, or if in doubt, parents can call 800-447-1985 to see whether specimens have been received and tested by the University of Iowa Hygienic Laboratory.

[Note from SBTS Foundation: The Iowa lab is screening per Louisiana's NBS panel, which is fewer disorders than Iowa's NBS panel.]

General Information
Louisiana House Bill 293 requires that newborn screening for 28 disorders (and hearing screening) be mandatory as of January 1, 2007. However, Office of Public Health officials report that expansion to 27 disorders became effective on August 1, 2006, and that screening for Cystic Fibrosis (CF) will be delayed until July 1, 2007. Parents should check with their hospital to verify the extent of screening in place per the anticipated date of their baby's birth.

The Louisiana Newborn Screening Program provides courier service to transport specimens from each birthing hospital to the laboratory. To accommodate the screening for additional disorders, the laboratory fee increases from $18 to $30 but remains free of charge for newborns covered by Medicaid. Louisiana has approximately 67,000 births each year.

Background: On February 20, 2001, Louisiana added Biotinidase Deficiency to the newborn screening panel and also raised the fee for the purchase of the lab slip from $12.00 to $18.00. On November 1, 2004, pilot testing began for Argininosuccinic Aciduria (ASA), Citrullinemia (CIT) Homocystinuria (HCY),Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) and Medium-Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency (MCADD). The pilot was converted to an official component of the newborn screening panel on February 20, 2006. (MCADD).

Newborn Screening Advisory Committee
Unknown at this time

Louisiana NBSAC Chairperson
Unknown at this time.

NBSAC Meeting Dates
Unknown at this time

Location of Meetings
Unknown at this time

• Families Helping Families of Louisiana
• Louisiana Family Village Community Center
• Louisiana Neonatal Screening Program

Please write to us if you have any updates, changes, or new information to be added to this page. 

HOME |  ABOUT US |  PRESS RELEASES |  DONATE NOW |  VOLUNTEER NOW

Contact Save Babies Through Screening for questions about the content of this site or
the Webmaster for questions about technical issues related to this site.
Terms of use for this site.