Title 7 . Health and Social Services

Chapter 27 . Embalming and Other Post-Mortem Services

Section 530. Collection of blood specimen; refusal of collection

7 AAC 27.530. Collection of blood specimen; refusal of collection

(a) The minimum blood specimen collection requirements for the screening described in 7 AAC 27.510 are

(1) one specimen if the

(A) newborn child was born full term, had a normal birth weight, and is living; the specimen must be collected between 48 hours and seven days of age of the child; or

(B) child was born alive, but died before the child reached 48 hours of age and a post-mortem blood specimen can be obtained; or

(2) two specimens if the

(A) newborn child was born prematurely, had a low birth weight, and is living; the first specimen must be collected between 48 hours and seven days of age of the child and the second specimen must be collected before 21 days of age of the child;

(B) initial specimen was collected before the newborn child was 48 hours of age; the second specimen must be collected after 72 hours of age of the child but before 21 days of age of the child; or

(C) screening of the initial specimen has shown a borderline result for one or more of the tested conditions or the specimen was contaminated, spoiled, or otherwise not adequate for screening.

(b) The blood specimen must be collected using the procedure described on the test form for the screening provided by the department. The specimen must be submitted on the absorbent card provided by the department. All information requested on the test form must be provided by the attending physician, certified nurse midwife, or certified direct-entry midwife. The specimen must be mailed with the required form to a designated laboratory within 24 hours of the time the specimen is collected.

(c) Each week a medical facility or service shall provide a list of live births to the section of maternal, adolescent, and genetics unit in the department. The list must contain the newborn child's surname or family name, date of birth, birth weight, and sex. If a newborn child is not tested for any reason, including the denial of specimen collection by a parent or guardian, the nontesting of that child must also be noted on the list. The department will match the list of live births against the designated laboratory's list of specimens received. The department will notify the medical facility or service regarding a newborn child whose blood specimen was reported collected, but had not been received by the designated laboratory.

(d) A parent or guardian of a newborn child who refuses to permit collection of a specimen should affirm that refusal by signing the "refusal for testing statement" on the back of the newborn child screening card provided by the department. The information on the front of the card must be completed by the medical facility or service and the card sent to the designated laboratory.

History: Eff. 12/30/77, Register 64; am 10/31/82, Register 84; am 2/3/88, Register 105; am 7/13/94, Register 131; am 12/13/97, Register 144

Authority: AS 18.05.040

AS 18.15.200

Editor's note: The address for the Department of Health and Social Services, division of public health, section of family health, is 1231 Gambell Street, Anchorage, Alaska 99501-4627.