State of CT General Statutes - Newborn Screening
Sec. 19a-55. (Formerly Sec. 19-21b). Newborn infant health screening. Tests required. Fees. Report to Department of Public Health. Exemptions. Regulations. (a) The administrative officer or other person in charge of each institution caring for newborn infants shall cause to have administered to every such infant in its care an HIV-related test, as defined in section 19a-581, a test for phenylketonuria and other metabolic diseases, hypothyroidism, galactosemia, sickle cell disease, maple syrup urine disease, homocystinuria, biotinidase deficiency, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, severe combined immunodeficiency disease, adrenoleukodystrophy and such other tests for inborn errors of metabolism as shall be prescribed by the Department of Public Health. The tests shall be administered as soon after birth as is medically appropriate. If the mother has had an HIV-related test pursuant to section 19a-90 or 19a-593, the person responsible for testing under this section may omit an HIV-related test. The Commissioner of Public Health shall (1) administer the newborn screening program, (2) direct persons identified through the screening program to appropriate specialty centers for treatments, consistent with any applicable confidentiality requirements, and (3) set the fees to be charged to institutions to cover all expenses of the comprehensive screening program including testing, tracking and treatment. The fees to be charged pursuant to subdivision (3) of this subsection shall be set at a minimum of ninety-eight dollars. The Commissioner of Public Health shall publish a list of all the abnormal conditions for which the department screens newborns under the newborn screening program, which shall include screening for amino acid disorders, organic acid disorders and fatty acid oxidation disorders, including, but not limited to, long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase (L-CHAD) and medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD).
(b) In addition to the testing requirements prescribed in subsection (a) of this section, the administrative officer or other person in charge of each institution caring for newborn infants shall cause to have administered to (1) every such infant in its care a screening test for (A) cystic fibrosis, and (B) critical congenital heart disease, and (2) any newborn infant who fails a newborn hearing screening, as described in section 19a-59, a screening test for cytomegalovirus, provided such screening test shall be administered within available appropriations on and after January 1, 2016. On and after January 1, 2018, the administrative officer or other person in charge of each institution caring for newborn infants who performs the testing for critical congenital heart disease shall enter the results of such test into the newborn screening system pursuant to section 19a-53. Such screening tests shall be administered as soon after birth as is medically appropriate.
(c) The administrative officer or other person in charge of each institution caring for newborn infants shall report any case of cytomegalovirus that is confirmed as a result of a screening test administered pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of this section to the Department of Public Health in a form and manner prescribed by the Commissioner of Public Health.
(d) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any infant whose parents object to the test or treatment as being in conflict with their religious tenets and practice. The commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to implement the provisions of this section.
Click here for a link to the official statute page.
State of CT Department of Public Health Regulations - Newborn Screening
State of Connecticut-Public Health Code-Provisions for Newborn Screening Sec. 19-13-D41. (UNDER REVISION) Tests of infants for phenylketonuria and metabolic errors.
Unless the parents object, the administrator or other person in charge of any institution providing medical care of infants twenty-eight days or less of age shall cause to be taken from each such infant a blood specimen or specimens satisfactory for tests for phenylketonuria and other inborn errors of metabolism, subject to the following conditions: (a) Materials for the collection of specimens shall be of a type furnished by or acceptable to the state department of health; (b) Specimens shall not be collected until at least twenty-four hours after the first milk feeding of the infant unless discharged sooner, in which case specimens shall be taken not earlier than three hours before discharge; (c) Specimens shall be submitted to the laboratory division of the state department of health, or to a laboratory approved for the purpose by the state department of health, within forty-eight hours after collection; (d) Laboratory tests shall be made according to methods approved by the state department of health; (e) Information accompanying each specimen shall be sufficient to identify for future reference the infant from whom taken; (f) Results of tests shall be transmitted to the state department of public health within twenty-four hours after test on forms provided for the purpose; (g) Records of tests shall clearly indicate the tests performed and the results thereof and shall be maintained for a period of five years.
SEC. 19-13-D42. Objection of parents to test
If the parents of an infant object in writing to a test for phenylketonuria and other inborn errors of metabolism, as being in conflict with their religious tenets and practice, such fact shall be reported to the state department of health and a statement on a form provided by the state department of health signed by the parents shall be made a part of the infant's hospital record.
State of CT General Statutes - Newborn Hearing Screening
Sec. 19a-59. Program to identify infants who are hard of hearing. (a) Each institution, as defined in section 19a-490, that provides childbirth service shall, not later than July 1, 2000, include a universal newborn hearing screening program as part of its standard of care and shall establish a mechanism for compliance review. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to any infant whose parents object to hearing screening as being in conflict with their religious tenets and practice.
(b) The Department of Public Health shall establish a plan to implement and operate a program of early identification of infants who are hard of hearing. The purpose of such plan shall be to: (1) Identify infants at high risk of having hearing impairments; (2) notify parents of such infants of the risk; (3) inform parents of resources available to them for further testing and treatment, including rehabilitation services for such infants; and (4) inform parents of financial assistance available through the Department of Public Health, including, but not limited to, parental eligibility criteria, which may result in reduced cost or no cost to parents for testing, evaluation or treatment, including rehabilitation of such infants. The department shall develop such plan in consultation with persons including, but not limited to, pediatricians, otolaryngologists, audiologists, educators and parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
(c) The Commissioner of Public Health shall adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to implement the provisions of subsection (a) of this section.
(P.A. 81-205, S. 2, 3; P.A. 82-472, S. 61, 183; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-8, S. 9, 88; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 99-2, S. 36, 72; P.A. 00-27, S. 10, 24; P.A. 17-202, S. 69, 74.)
History: P.A. 82-472 made technical changes; P.A. 93-381 replaced department of health services with department of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-8 added new Subsecs. (a) and (c) re newborn hearing screening, designating existing Subsecs. (a) and (b) as Subsec. (b); June Sp. Sess. P.A. 99-2 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “1999” with “2000”, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 00-27 made a technical change in Subsec. (b), effective May 1, 2000; P.A. 17-202 amended Subsec. (b) to replace “infant hearing impairment” with “infants who are hard of hearing”, and replace reference to deaf and hearing impaired children with reference to children who are deaf and hard of hearing.
How to contact us
For additional information about the Newborn Screening Program or Genetics, contact:
Dr. Katherine A. Kelley Public Health Laboratory
Connecticut Department of Public Health
395 West Street
Rocky Hill, Connecticut 06067-3503
Phone (860) 920-6628 Fax (860) 730-8385