About newborn bloodspot screening - About the newborn bloodspot screening test
Who will take the bloodspot sample?
Newborn bloodspot screening is carried out five days after your baby’s birth. Occasionally this may be later than five days. The sample is usually taken by the midwife in your home, or in the hospital.
Other health professionals, who have been trained to carry out newborn bloodspot screening, may take the sample.
Healthcare staff follow infection and prevention control guidance. This means staff follow strict hand cleaning routines and clean all clinic areas and equipment regularly.
Talk to your midwife about how screening will take place within your Health Board. They will explain what they are doing to keep you and your baby safe.
Access to newborn bloodspt screening if you do not have an NHS midwife
Every baby born in Wales is entitled to newborn bloodspot screening (screening for rare but serious conditions). Some families use private or independent midwives rather than NHS maternity services. Others choose to have an unassisted birth (also called a free birth).
If you want your baby to have newborn bloodspot screening in Wales you need to use your local NHS maternity service, even if you choose not to receive other NHS postnatal care. To help you decide whether bloodspot screening is right for your baby, please see our information for parents.
You or your midwife should contact your local NHS maternity service to arrange a screening appointment. Blood samples can be taken at your home or at a local maternity unit or clinic. So that we can identify conditions early, samples should be taken four to six days after your baby is born.
Babies who are screened need an NHS number to make sure we can match the correct screening result with each baby. If your baby does not already have an NHS number, you will be given one at the screening appointment.
If you are already receiving maternity and postnatal care from the NHS, your midwife will automatically give you the information you need, and they will arrange for your baby’s bloodspot sample to be taken.
How will the bloodspot sample be taken?
The midwife will prick your baby’s heel using a special device to collect four drops of blood onto a newborn bloodspot screening card. Collecting these bloodspots usually takes a few minutes. The card is sent to the Newborn Screening Laboratory in Cardiff for testing. The midwife will write your baby’s details on the card to identify them.
The heel prick may be uncomfortable and your baby may cry.
You can help by:
- making sure your baby is warm and comfortable, and
- cuddling your baby and giving them a feed.
Contact your midwife if you are feeling unwell or have any questions or concerns about your baby’s screening appointment.
Are repeat blood samples ever needed?
Occasionally the midwife or health visitor will contact you and ask to take a second blood sample from your baby’s heel.
This may be because:
- there was not enough blood collected
- the information recorded on the blood spot card was incomplete
- the result was unclear
- your baby was born early, or
- your baby had a blood transfusion before the test.
Your midwife or health visitor will explain the reason to you. It is important that if a repeat test is needed, it is done promptly so that all the tests have been completed within the early weeks of life.
Page last reviewed: 12th November 2025