# pku shots on newborns



## starrine79 (Apr 18, 2006)

why is it that my first son did not recieve this shot and my second one did? does anyone know why a baby is given a pku shot?


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## BelgianSheepDog (Mar 31, 2006)

It's actually not a "shot" per se, but a blood test for a genetic condition. It's usually given by default unless you specifically opt out of it.


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## starrine79 (Apr 18, 2006)

so y did 1 of my sons get it and not the other


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## indie (Jun 16, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *starrine79*
so y did 1 of my sons get it and not the other

Are you sure your first didn't get the test while you weren't around? My first was born in the hospital and they never told me they were doing it. I just saw a tiny pin prick on her heel.

My second was a homebirth and had hers done at home while I was holding her.


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

Were they born in/at the same place? I think the pku's been around for awhile, so I don't think time would be a factor. I suspect that there was an error. Because while the test is actually more accurate a couple of days after the birth, (and some people choose not to have it done at all, which I don't quite understand, but that's their choice) most hospitals make a huge fuss if you try to leave without it. You'd remember going through that sort of rigamarole.

Possibility 1: It was done and not recorded on his chart at the time and the results came back negative so they didn't bother.
Possibility 2: It was never done because of an error.

The staff where you gave birth would be the first place to start asking.

With a midwife, a good midwife will have discussed the test with you beforehand, so you *definitely* want to talk with your midwife if you had one.

ETA:
Oh, wait, do you mean there's no record of it having been done, or you don't remember seeing them do it? If you just didn't see them do it, call them up, the test and results should be in their records.


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## starrine79 (Apr 18, 2006)

the reason i ask is because in my family there were 4 babies born 3 months apart. 2 of them had pku on there shot records and 2 didnt so i am wondering why this happened. if it is merely a record of the test being done why did 2 of them not have it recorded and the other 2 did?


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## starrine79 (Apr 18, 2006)

i know for sure the test was performed on all of the babies and they were all born in the same hospital, however half have it recorded on their shot records and half do not?


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## onlyboys (Feb 12, 2004)

I don't think it would be recorded on a shot record. It's not a shot, it's a heel prick to gather blood to test for a number of conditions that could be present at birth. The test is not recorded on shot records here in FL, it would be placed in your child's file.

Your child wouldn't have a shot record from the hospital would they? You have to get that from the doctor in our state.


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## georgia (Jan 12, 2003)

Like the PP stated, it's not an injection but blood removal (heel prick). It's sent off to the state, I believe, so I wonder if it's not a reporting error in your case. As in the state didn't return the results (it's not instantaneous) to the pediatrician or you had changed practitioners and the records weren't recorded by the current ped? I believe most, if not all, states require PKU testing by law.


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## bobandjess99 (Aug 1, 2005)

i have never heard of a pku being recorded on a shot record...because it's NOT A VACCINATION!!!

They TAKE blood. It is required in all states unless you opt out of it. I am sure that if the kids were born in a hospital, they DID have it done....regardless of whether or not it was recorded......like the PP's said, the only way it MIGHT not have been done would have been pure error.


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## kerikadi (Nov 22, 2001)

All my kids had the PKU - two hospital birhts, two homebirths. The first two are vaccinated and it is NOT on their records, nor is it listed as a requirement for school. The girls don't have shot records so not on theirs either









Keri


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## Teensy (Feb 22, 2002)

Also - the test may be called by a different name. Your state may now test for more genetic conditions than in the past (I think my state, SC, has increased from about 8 when I had DS#1 to about 30 with DD). So the children may have both been tested, but the screening could have be labeled differently.


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## bobandjess99 (Aug 1, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Teensy*
Also - the test may be called by a different name. Your state may now test for more genetic conditions than in the past (I think my state, SC, has increased from about 8 when I had DS#1 to about 30 with DD). So the children may have both been tested, but the screening could have be labeled differently.


Yeah that..i forgot about that..now they tend to call it "newborn metabolic screening" or something like that.


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## flyingspaghettimama (Dec 18, 2001)

Newborn Screening Tests
http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/681_1200.asp


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## starrine79 (Apr 18, 2006)

thank everyone so much for all of this info, i dont know if i am getting across the question i am asking very clearly though. i know for certain that all the babies had the test, this is not my question or concern. my question and concern is that out of 4 babies born within 3 months of each other at the same hospital, on their shot records which we keep a personal record of here in missouri, on the spot marked other, pku is handwritten and is dated for 2 days after the birth of only 2 of the babies and the other 2 do not have anything written in this space. so i want to know why 2 of them have pku written on their shot records and 2 do not?


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## earthmama369 (Jul 29, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *starrine79*
thank everyone so much for all of this info, i dont know if i am getting across the question i am asking very clearly though. i know for certain that all the babies had the test, this is not my question or concern. my question and concern is that out of 4 babies born within 3 months of each other at the same hospital, on their shot records which we keep a personal record of here in missouri, on the spot marked other, pku is handwritten and is dated for 2 days after the birth of only 2 of the babies and the other 2 do not have anything written in this space. so i want to know why 2 of them have pku written on their shot records and 2 do not?

Probably because some (possibly new) staff member saw the "other" category and thought that the PKU went there; that's not normally where a PKU is recorded. If they were born that close together, it's quite possible two of their charts came through the hands of the same (possibly new) staff member who didn't know any better.


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

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