Effective January 1, 2025, the New York State Department of Health’s Newborn Screening Program’s policies regarding specimen and record retention will be changing. After that date, the program will store newborn screening records and specimens for 10 years. Previously, records and specimens were stored for up to 27 years. Beginning on December 15, 2024, requests for samples or records more than 10 years old will not be processed.
For healthcare providers looking for information on how to request a newborn screen sample, please visit the Residual Blood Spot Usage page.
For families looking for information on residual specimen usage, please visit the Specimen Usage, Retention and Security Policies page.
Newborn screen reports can be accessed by medical professionals on the Newborn Screening application by logging onto the the Health Commerce website.
For any questions or concerns, please contact the Newborn Screening Program at nbsinfo@health.ny.gov or 518-473-7552.
Newborn screening is mandated in New York State by Public Health Law, sections 2500-a and 2500-f.