Parent Experience and Attitudes Towards Newborn Bloodspot Screening in Ireland

The aim of the evaluation was to gather information on parents' experiences and attitudes towards the Irish National Newborn Bloodspot Screening Programme (NNBSP). An interviewer-administered survey was completed by 151 parents whose babies underwent newborn bloodspot screening (NBS) between 2023 and 2025 and for whom the screening result was normal. Results suggest that NBS is highly acceptable to parents, with 100% glad their baby underwent screening. The majority (95%) felt they were provided the information needed to understand the importance of NBS for their baby, and 93% are in favour of screening for more conditions. Positive aspects of NBS reported by parents included the following: blood sampling being undertaken in the home, the sample-taker being very nice and being advised in advance to keep the baby's heel warm to ease the sampling process. Negative aspects of NBS reported included the following: having to return to the hospital for sampling, the baby becoming distressed, not receiving adequate information and not receiving the screening results. Parents were more likely to report negative experiences if the sample was not taken at home and if the sample was taken by a healthcare professional other than a public health nurse. Parents offered recommendations for improvements to the programme. This study provides important insights into parents' experiences and attitudes towards NBS in Ireland.