MCHD observing Newborn Screening Awareness Month 09.02.25

September 2, 2025

MCHD observing Newborn Screening Awareness Month

MOBILE, Ala. — Newborn Screening Awareness Month is observed in September. This month is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of newborn screening, a series of tests performed on newborns to detect potentially serious medical conditions that can be treated early in life.

Newborn screening is a public health program that tests spots of blood from all newborns for certain conditions that are not noticeable at the time of birth, but that can cause serious disability or even death if not treated quickly. Infants with these conditions may seem perfectly healthy and frequently come from families with no previous history of a condition.

The Mobile County Health Department’s Fetal and Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) Program was established to identify critical community strengths and weaknesses, as well as unique health and social issues, associated with poor outcomes of pregnancy. The program is a community-based statewide initiative designed to enhance the health and well-being of women, infants, and families through the review of deidentified cases of fetal (stillbirth) and infant deaths, and voluntary maternal interviews. The Mobile County FIMR Program, the Alabama Baby Coalition, began in 1998 and continues to be active in improving pregnancy outcomes.

“MCHD’s FIMR reviews uncover cases where newborn screening was not conducted, was delayed, or failed to trigger timely follow-up care,” said Yvonne Baynard, who oversees the Alabama Baby Coalition. “This review process can identify failures in screening processes or communication breakdowns between hospitals, labs, and providers.

“The FIMR Community Action Team uses these findings to recommend public health or community-based interventions, such as improving systems for newborn screening follow-up, timely parental notification, or access to community services. It not easy to be a parent and there are a number of services to assist for a healthy outcome.”

The FIMR team partners with MCHD’s Maternal & Child Health programs and community organizations to help improve the newborn screening process through education. The team may also collaborate with hospitals and labs conducting these screenings.

MCHD’s Office of Nutrition Services manages the local Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (better known as WIC) program. Participants may receive food benefits for each qualifying family member. If you are a woman who is pregnant, has had a baby within the past six months, or are currently breastfeeding, or if you are the parent or guardian of a child up to age 5, you are encouraged to visit https://mchd.org/wic or call 251-690-8829.