When are newborn screening tests done, and when are the results ready?
Applies to age: 0–1 months
In short
The pulse oximetry test and the newborn hearing screening are done during the stay on the maternity ward, and on the day of discharge you receive documents with information about the screening tests that were done.
What is normal
Some claims: international norm
- During the stay on the maternity ward, a newborn has a pulse oximetry test and a hearing screening (Ministry of Health regulation on the organizational standard of perinatal care, consolidated text: Dz.U. 2026 item 1140, annex part XIII, section 2, point 6, letters a and b).
Source: Akty prawne w Dzienniku Ustaw – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
u noworodka podczas pobytu na oddziale położniczym wykonuje się: a) test pulsoksymetryczny, b) przesiewowe badanie słuchu,
Akty prawne w Dzienniku Ustaw · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-13 · license [1]
- Taking a screening sample on blotting paper is one of the procedures done for a newborn (Ministry of Health regulation on the organizational standard of perinatal care, consolidated text Dz.U. 2026 item 1140, annex part XIII, section 2, point 6, letter e).
Source: Akty prawne w Dzienniku Ustaw – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
e) pobranie badania przesiewowego na bibułę (badanie suchej kropli krwi),
Akty prawne w Dzienniku Ustaw · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-13 · license [1]
- On the day of discharge from the hospital, parents receive the newborn's medical records, which include, among other things, information about the screening tests done as part of health programs (Ministry of Health regulation on the organizational standard of perinatal care, consolidated text Dz.U. 2026 item 1140, annex part XIII, section 2, point 8, letter d).
Source: Akty prawne w Dzienniku Ustaw – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
8) w dniu wypisu ze szpitala należy sporządzić i wydać przedstawicielom ustawowym zewnętrzną dokumentację medyczną noworodka, zawierającą w szczególności informacje o:
Akty prawne w Dzienniku Ustaw · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-13 · license [1]
Polish original
d) wykonanych badaniach przesiewowych w ramach programów zdrowotnych,
Akty prawne w Dzienniku Ustaw · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-13 · license [1]
- The first health check is done right after the child is born, while still in the hospital.
Source: NFZ i Akademia NFZ – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
Pierwszy bilans zdrowia przeprowadza się zaraz po urodzeniu dziecka – jeszcze w szpitalu.
NFZ i Akademia NFZ · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-13 · license [2]
- Screening tests are done for all newborn babies; this is about 30 tests.
Source: NFZ i Akademia NFZ – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
U wszystkich nowo narodzonych dzieci wykonuje się badania przesiewowe.
NFZ i Akademia NFZ · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-13 · license [2]
Polish original
Wykonywanych jest około 30 badań i testów, m.in. w kierunku wykrycia:
NFZ i Akademia NFZ · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-13 · license [2]
- Screening tests include, among other things, detecting genetic diseases such as phenylketonuria, congenital hypothyroidism, cystic fibrosis and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).
Source: NFZ i Akademia NFZ – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
m.in. w kierunku wykrycia: chorób genetycznych: fenyloketonurii wrodzonej niedoczynności tarczycy mukowiscydozy rdzeniowego zaniku mięśni (SMA)
NFZ i Akademia NFZ · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-13 · license [2]
- Screening tests include, among other things, detecting birth defects such as heart defects (pulse oximetry test), an eye exam for premature babies and a hearing test as part of the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Program.
Source: NFZ i Akademia NFZ – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
wad rozwojowych: badanie pulsoksymetryczne (wykrywa wady serca) badanie wzroku u wcześniaków badanie słuchu w ramach Programu Powszechnych Przesiewowych Badań Słuchu u Noworodków.
NFZ i Akademia NFZ · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-13 · license [2]
- In the government newborn screening program, if a disease is detected in a child, the information goes immediately to the child's caregivers.
Source: gov.pl – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
Jeśli u dziecka zostanie wykryta choroba, taka informacja trafia natychmiast do opiekunów dziecka.
gov.pl · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-13 · license [3]
- In the government newborn screening program, the caregivers of a child in whom a disease was detected also receive information on where to go to confirm the diagnosis and start treatment, if needed.
Source: gov.pl – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
Otrzymają oni również informację, gdzie się zgłosić aby potwierdzić diagnozę i rozpocząć ewentualne leczenie.
gov.pl · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-13 · license [3]
- A newborn's hearing screening should be done before leaving the hospital or birthing center.
Source: NIDCD · international norm – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
Your baby’s hearing should be screened before he or she leaves the hospital or birthing center.
NIDCD · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-13 · license [4]
- If the hearing test was not done before discharge, it should be done in the child's first month of life.
Source: NIDCD · international norm – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
If not, make sure the baby is tested during the first month of life.
NIDCD · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-13 · license [4]
When to worry
All claims: international norm
- No hearing test within a month of birth, or no information about its result, is a reason to consult your child's doctor today.
Source: NIDCD – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
If your baby’s hearing was not tested within 1 month of birth, or if you haven’t been told the results of the hearing screening, ask your child’s doctor today.
NIDCD · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-13 · license [4]
international norm “International norm” next to a section heading means its claims come from a non-Polish source, because no Polish source in our registry covers this topic. When this applies to only some of the claims, the foreign ones carry the same label next to their source.
Sources
- Akty prawne w Dzienniku Ustaw (ELI: eli.gov.pl, api.sejm.gov.pl)License: Akt normatywny, art. 4 pkt 1 ustawy o prawie autorskim (nie podlega ochronie). Source: Akty prawne w Dzienniku Ustaw (ELI: eli.gov.pl, api.sejm.gov.pl).
- NFZ i Akademia NFZLicense: Treści NFZ – wykorzystanie ze wskazaniem źródła, bez obrotu komercyjnego. Source: NFZ i Akademia NFZ. Content summarized and translated by the editors; changed relative to the original.
- gov.pl – serwisy Ministerstwa Zdrowia i GISLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: gov.pl – serwisy Ministerstwa Zdrowia i GIS. Content summarized and translated by the editors; changed relative to the original.
- NIDCD – Speech and Language Developmental Milestones (USA)License: Domena publiczna (USA). Source: NIDCD – Speech and Language Developmental Milestones (USA).