Phenylketonuria Test

Blood is routinely drawn from newborn infants for testing. Blood is obtained by "heel stick" and collected on a special blotter paper. Routine testing includes phenylketonuria and blood type. Many hospitals include other tests such as thyroid function, hemoglobin S (sickle cell disease), or may test for other blood disorders (hemoglobinopathies). Testing can be tailored to the local population, taking into account race and ethnic background in determining what routine testing should be done.

Phenylketonuria Test

Blood is routinely drawn from newborn infants for testing. The three circles on the special blotter paper are smears of blood. Patient information and identification is included on the paper, and is sent to the state testing laboratory. Results are available within a few days.

Capillary Sample

A capillary sample of blood is obtained by pricking the skin's surface to obtain a drop or several drops of blood for laboratory testing. The usual location of capillary blood sampling is the skin of the finger or heel.