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Genetics News & Updates

June 2022: Secure Remote Viewer (SRV) Web Browser Compatability

Effective 7:00 am on June 15, 2022, the Secure Remote Viewer (SRV), used to retrieve newborn screening results, will only be accessible on Chrome, Firefox, and Edge web browsers. Users are encouraged to download one of these browsers to access the SRV since Internet Explorer will no longer support Windows 10.

If there are any issues accessing the system after this date, please contact the Genetic Diseases Program at 504-568-8254.

January 2022: New Screenings on the Newborn Screening Panel are Live

Effective January 20, 2022, the Louisiana Department of Health has added Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I (MPS I), and Glycogen Storage DiseasesType II (Pompe Disease) to the list of genetic conditions infants are tested for at birth. Read more in this announcement.

November 2021: New Screenings to be Added to the Newborn Screening Panel Starting January 2022

In January 2022, the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) will be adding screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I (MPS I), and Glycogen Storage Diseases Type II (Pompe Disease) to the Louisiana Newborn Screening Panel. Read more in this announcement.

July 2021: Updates to the Secure Remote Viewer (SRV) Electronic Lab Results Registration 

The Louisiana Department of Health’s Office of Public Health’s Newborn Screening Program has updated the user access portal to the Secure Remote Viewer (SRV), the system used to find newborn screening results. From now on, users must click this link, newbornscreeningresultsla.neometrics.com, to access the SRV.

September 2020: Secure Remote Viewer (SRV) Electronic Lab Results Registration (Updated)

Effective immediately, the OPH state laboratory will no longer send out physical copies of Newborn Screening lab results to providers. Medical providers will be able to view the Newborn Screening lab results through our Secured Remote Viewer Web Based System (SRV). Please fill out this Registration form and fax it to 504-568-8253. Instruction on accessing SRV can be found here.

August 2020: Updates in Response to Hurricane Laura

Any pediatrician or other health care provider seeing an infant born between August 14th and August 30th is asked to review the screening result for each infant to ensure that a valid specimen was collected. Please collect a repeat sample, if necessary. For additional information, please contact the Genetic Diseases Program at 504-568-8254.

Newborn Screening Specimen Collection Forms:  For providers wishing to order newborn screening forms, please submit the completed document by faxing to 504-568-8253 or emailing Margaret.McGinnis@la.gov. 

December 2019: Severe Combined Immunodeficiency

The Genetic Diseases Program amended the Newborn Heel Stick Screening rule to add Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) to the panel of tests all newborns are screened for in Louisiana on December 10, 2018. Click here to view the clinical guidelines and the list of pediatric immunologists in Louisiana who have expetise in treating infants with SCID.

Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) includes a group of rare but serious, and potentially fatal, inherited immune disorders in which T lymphocytes fail to develop and B lymphocytes are either absent or compromised. Newborn screening for T cell deficiencies is performed by measuring the quantities of DNA that are shed during T cell maturation.  This DNA is found in T cell receptor excision circles (TRECS). The interpretation of T cell newborn screening is expressed as quantities of TRECS.

April 2017: New Cutoff Values for Newborn Screening

The Office of Public Health Laboratory completed a review for all of the cut-off values used for newborn screening testing based on 2015 data. The evaluation was done first by comparing the mean values observed (measured) values for each analyte (compound detected) during 2015 to the 2014 mean values for the same analyte. This is a way to look for shifts in the average reference values for the Louisiana newborn population as a whole.  Please click here for evaluation method and detail updates.

View the information below to help train staff on newborn screening specimen collection: