Screening Programmes Part 1: Pregnancy and Newborn course for Dietitians

This session will describe and discuss the following three NHS antenatal and newborn screening programmes: screening for sickle cell and thalassaemia; newborn blood spot screening; and screening for infections in pregnancy.

Learning objectives

By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Describe the appropriate care pathway for each of the screening programmes, including the optimum times for testing
• Describe the basic aetiology of the conditions being screened for
• Discuss the rationale behind each of the screening programmes
• Identify the possible screening outcomes for each condition

The aims of antenatal and newborn screening are to detect health problems in the mother and/or newborn. The screening tests can help the parents to make informed choices about care or treatment of the mother and newborn. The aim of antenatal screening is to facilitate informed decision-making in relation to the care of the mother. The aim of newborn screening is to detect health problems early and to ensure affected children receive appropriate care as soon as possible.