Services

Genetics and Newborn Screening (GNS), a unit within the Division of Child and Adolescent Health, provides the following major services.

• Provides early identification of rare genetic, metabolic, hormonal, and functional disorders among infants.
• Refers infants who are identified with a newborn blood-spot screening core panel disorder and their families to Care Connection for Children and evaluating the effectiveness of the referral activities.
• Refers infants who are indentified with a permanent hearing loss and their families to Early Intervention Services (Infant and Toddler Connection of Virginia) and evaluating the effectiveness of the referral activities.
• Develops, implements, enhances, and evaluates the state’s population-based birth defects surveillance system: Virginia Congenital Anomalies Reporting and Education System (VaCARES).
• Develops, implements, and evaluates population-based programs to prevent birth defects.
• Assists policy makers in developing genetics and newborn screening-related policies.
• Maintains and enhances the Virginia Infant Screening and Infant Tracking System (VISITS), a Web-based integrated database system that tracks and manages results for the Virginia Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program and the Virginia Congenital Anomalies Reporting and Education System. 
• Provides clinical consultation and educational activities, especially related to newborn blood-spot screening, newborn hearing screening, and birth defects prevention.
• Develops and distributes guidelines and educational materials on genetics and newborn screening.

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