Jordan: So, when is it okay to screen babies who are in the NICU?

Beth: As we mentioned earlier, the longer you wait the better your screening outcome will be. Some babies in the NICU are medically fragile. Sometimes they're on life sustaining equipment like ECMO or they have a really low birth weight, so they shouldn't be screened until their health condition is stable. In general, screening activities should wait until babies are at least 32 weeks old because they'll be more likely have a positive screening outcome and less likely to require repeated screens that aren't necessary.

Jordon: We wouldn't want to screen them too many times, would we?

Beth: No. Remember we discussed in an earlier section.  If you screen multiple times you may falsely pass a baby who needs to be referred. Repeatedly screening a baby is not a good use of your time and it's not cost effective.

Jordan: I have a feeling I should check with my hospital protocol to know when I should start screening babies in the NICU.

Beth: You're on it, Jordan. It may even be necessary to get approval from the baby's doctor before screening, so knowing the protocol is very important.