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Newborn Screening Educational Materials

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ACT and Fact Sheets

ACT Sheets, or ACTion sheets, provide recommended immediate next steps for health care professionals when a newborn has an out-of-range test result. Fact sheets provide important facts and information to parents on each screened disorder. ACTion sheets can be downloaded from the screened disorders or Resources for Health Care Professionals pages. Fact sheets can be downloaded from the screened disorders page.

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Brochures

The Newborn Screening Program provides the following brochures and guides as educational tools on newborn screening. Click on each publication name to download the PDF. Health care providers may also order the brochures in bulk at no cost (within established limits) from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) ordering system by clicking on the publication number. You must register with HHSC in order to use their online ordering system.

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Newborn Screening Program Brochures
 Publication Name (click to download PDF)  Publication Number (click to order)
 10 Things Parents Want to Know About Newborn Screening (English/Spanish)  1-321 
 Bookmark  1-159 
 Newborn Screening Blood Tests - A Parent's Guide to Storage and Usage (English/Spanish)  1-330 
 Newborn Screening Tests: For Your Baby's Health (English)  1-63
 Newborn Screening Tests: For Your Baby's Health (Spanish)  1-63A
 Newborn Screening Tests: For Your Baby's Health (Vietnamese)  1-63V
 Save Your Babies!  - The prenatal provider's role in newborn screening.  1-329  
 Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) (English/Spanish)   1-349
 These Tests Could Save Your Baby's Life (English) - The health professionals guide for a brief discussion with parents.  1-318
 These Tests Could Save Your Baby's Life (Spanish)  1-318A
 These Tests Could Save Your Baby's Life (Vietnamese)  1-318V 
 Things to Know about Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH)  1-346 
 Things to Know about Cystic Fibrosis (English/Spanish)  1-320 
 Things to Know about Galactosemia (English/Spanish)  05-10513 
 Things To Know About Sickle Cell Disease  1-341
 Things To Know About Sickle Cell Trait   1-66 
 What Parents Want To Know About Newborn Screening (English)  1-319
 What Parents Want To Know About Newborn Screening (Spanish)  1-319A
 What Parents Want To Know About Newborn Screening (Vietnamese)  1-319V
 XALD (X-Linked Adrenoleukodystrophy)(English/Spanish)  1-348

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Guides

Newborn Screening Guides
 Publication Name (click to download PDF) Publication Number (click to order) 
 Neonatal Screening: Blood Specimen Collection and Handling Procedure (English) -  Steps for neonatal blood sample collection 8½ x 11  05-10589
 Simple Spot Check (English) - Valid and Invalid Specimens 8½ x 11  05-10588
 Simple Spot Check (Spanish) - 8½ x 11  05-10588A
 Specimen Collection Guide (English) - This booklet shows how to collect a satisfactory and valid newborn screening specimen step-by-step.  1-194
 Weight Conversion Chart - Pounds and Ounces to Grams (English)  05-10631

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Training Courses

The following self-paced training courses are available through Texas Health Steps. Some of the courses offer continuing education credits for primary care providers and other health care professionals. 

Critical Congenital Heart Disease – The goal of this module is to equip Texas Health Steps providers and others to perform state-mandated newborn screening for critical congenital heart disease (CCHD), evaluate results, and provide appropriate follow-up.

Genetic Screening, Testing, Treatment, and Referral – The goal of this module is to equip Texas Health Steps providers and other health-care professionals to implement best practices and ethical guidelines for genetic clinical evaluation, referral, and ongoing care in a primary care practice.

Newborn Hearing Screening – The goal of this module is to equip Texas Health Steps providers and other interested health-care professionals with education to support the state’s newborn hearing screening program, provide follow-up and referrals for infants suspected or diagnosed as deaf or hard of hearing, and counsel families to help infants receive appropriate services. 

Newborn Screening – The goal of this module is to equip Texas Health Steps providers and other interested health-care professionals to participate in the state’s newborn screening program, and once screening is performed to correctly interpret and act upon the results, educate parents, and provide appropriate follow-up and referral when necessary.

Sickle Cell Disease and Trait – The goal of this module is to equip Texas Health Steps providers and others with the ability to coordinate care for children with sickle cell disease and trait, collaborate with other health-care professionals, and communicate effectively with patients and families.

SMA: Newborn Screening, Treatment and Referral – The goal of this tutorial is to equip birth facilities, Texas Health Steps providers and other health-care professionals to screen newborns for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), communicate out-of-range screening results to parents or caregivers, and provide appropriate referrals and care coordination.

Specimen Collection – The goal of this module is to equip Texas Health Steps providers and others to implement requirements and best practices for specimen collection and handling in a clinical office setting.

Transition to Adult Care: Services for Children and Youth with Special Health-Care Needs – The goal of this module is to equip Texas Health Steps providers and other health-care professionals to initiate and implement health-care transition planning services for children and youth with chronic health conditions or disabilities at pivotal points in their development, especially as they approach school age, adolescence, and adulthood.

Texas Medicaid Waivers: What Texas Health Steps Providers Should Know – Medicaid waivers can be the gateway to services for children with disabilities. This short course provides a targeted overview of waiver programs and recommendations for helping your patients and their families connect to services.

XALD: Newborn Screening, Treatment, and Referral – The goal of this tutorial is to equip birth facilities, Texas Health Steps providers, and other health professionals to screen newborns for X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (XALD), communicate out-of-range screening results, and provide appropriate referrals and care coordination.

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Videos

Blood Specimen Collection

Storage and Use of Dried Blood Spots in Newborn Screening Webinar

Newborn Screening Follow-Up

Collection Kit Submission

More Than Drops on a Card

Cystic Fibrosis

Newborn Screening Video Produced by the Heartland Regional Genetics Network (Spanish Only)

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Webinars

Genetics Conference 2019

Newborn Screening and Genetics: Cystic Fibrosis
DSHS Grand Rounds Webinar, December 2009
Presentation by Dr. John Saito, Cook Children's Physician's Network 

Videos were part of the original presentation but must be viewed separately