The practitioner's role in newborn screening.

In this article the practitioner's role in newborn screening were summarized and guidelines to assist in their execution were provided. The authors summarized the tests that are currently used in North America and provided a short discussion of current and future issues in this area. Newborn screening is no longer a simple procedure. The lack of universal standards, tests, or legislation, and the increasingly complex choices and technologies available for newborn screening make uniform recommendations for practitioners difficult. It has become necessary to understand the basis and rationale of the tests as they relate to individual infants in order to provide optimal care.