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Updated: Jun 5, 2026
19:15
Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
False positive newborn screening results are not always benign
1Department of Sociology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, USA.
Public Health Genomics
|December 24, 2010
Summary
False positive newborn screening results can cause significant parental stress and worry, impacting family decisions. Effective communication is crucial to mitigate these long-term effects.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric screening
- Public health
- Genetics
Background:
- Newborn screening (NBS) is vital for early detection of genetic disorders.
- Abnormal NBS results can cause distress for families, even with false positives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of abnormal newborn screening results on families.
- To understand the psychological effects on parents receiving false positive (FP) or true positive (TP) results.
Main Methods:
- Telephone interviews with parents of children with FP (n=28), TP (n=20), and FP with other conditions (FP+other, n=12) results.
- Utilized open/closed-ended questions and the Parental Stress Index (PSI).
Main Results:
- FP parents reported concerns about future pregnancies and communication issues.
- Parents of FP+other children experienced the highest stress, followed by TP children.
- Nearly 10% of FP parents reported clinically significant stress and worry.
Conclusions:
- False positive NBS results can lead to parental stress and long-term worry.
- Improved communication strategies are needed to reduce negative sequelae.
- Consideration of these effects is vital when expanding NBS panels.
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