NHS Suffolk and North East Essex - After Birth Booklet

26 Other vaccinations When your baby is eight weeks old he/she will be offered an immunisation programme. This information will be given to you directly from your health visitor and/or GP. For more information visit: • NHS Choices: www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/childhood-vaccines-timeline Screening tests When your baby is between five to eight days old, your community midwife will offer the ‘newborn blood spot’ test. The test involves collecting four small samples of blood from your baby’s foot on a card. The test screens for nine rare but serious conditions, such as sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis and congenital hypothyroidism. For those babies identified with any of the conditions screened for, we know that early treatment can improve their health and prevent further serious or life threatening complications. If your baby was born early (before 37 weeks gestation) the test may be done in hospital by the neonatal team. More information can be found in the ‘Screening tests for you and your baby’ booklet. For more information visit: • Screening tests for you and your baby leaflet: www.gov.uk/ government/uploads/ system/uploads/ attachment_data/ file/642009/ Screening_tests_for_ you_and_your_baby_ booklet_040917.pdf