Baby health 101: Doctor reveals essential and optional tests every newborn should get after birth

Find out about the tests which you need to do in the first 42 hours to rule out any health condition.

When a baby is born, they undergo a series of health checks to identify congenital conditions as well as potential risks they may develop later in life. In the early years, many metabolic, endocrine, and genetic disorders may remain asymptomatic, and by the time symptoms appear, the damage may be extensive. This is why both timely and comprehensive screening becomes critical, covering organ functions, neurological development and overall wellbeing. This ensures early intervention if anything untoward is detected.

Dr Aakash Shah, Vice President-Technical, Neuberg Diagnostics, shared with HT Lifestyle the tests a baby must undergo, ranging from necessary core screenings and optional, risk-based tests to those that are particularly useful for early detection.

As per him, there are many conditions that stay dormant, only to show up later in life and become irreversible.

Dr Shah elaborated, “The early diagnostic tests that are conducted are the very ones to reveal these conditions, thus saving brain functions, organ development, growth, and survival altogether, hence the first 42 hours being very important.”

This means that early diagnostic tests, particularly in the first 42 hours after a baby is born, can detect many health conditions before the damage begins. It also supports the baby's long-term health.

Here are some of the tests, as shared by Dr Shah, that help detect health issues early. These are categorised into three groups: necessary and non-negotiable, optionable and risk-based, and those that are particularly useful:

What is necessary (Core screenings in 0–42 hours)

• APGAR, vitals, and anthropometry to assess immediate stability.

• Hearing screening (OAE/AABR) to identify early hearing loss.

• Critical Congenital Heart Disease screening using pulse oximetry to detect structural heart abnormalities.

• Jaundice assessment (bilirubin levels) to prevent neurological injury.

• Vitamin K and first vaccinations to prevent bleeding disorders and infections.

Essential tests assess the baby's organ functions and check for any life-threatening risks or long-term complications. (Picture credit: Unsplash)

What is optional (risk-based testing)

• Neurosonography / hip ultrasound for high-risk infants.

• TORCH infection panel or sepsis screen only when clinically indicated.

• Allergy or microbiome profiling for selective cases.

What is really useful (high-impact diagnostics)

• Newborn metabolic and genetic screening (Heel-prick test after 48 hours)

• Genomic Testing (WGS/WES-based sequencing)

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.