Are you automatically tested at birth for pku?

PKU testing: In the United States and Canada all babies are tested for PKU right after birth.

Newborn screens: All 50 states perform newborn screening after hospital births, including PKU, congenital hypothyroidism and galactosemia. Testing contents vary by state, but most include up to 40 screens for a variety of disorders. For accuracy, screens should not be performed within 24 hours of birth, but should be collected prior to discharge.

No: Testing for PKU and other newborn screening is usually mandated by the government and health agencies in the country where the baby is born. So there are variations in screening methods from one country to another. You can discuss this question with the medical provider who assists with your child's birth.

In the U.S., yes.: Just to be clear, it's the newborn who's tested for PKU, not you. The test screens for abnormally high levels of phenylalanine in blood or urine. Since it was one of the first newborn metabolic screening tests done, it's included in newborn screening tests in this country and most others as well. However, to be certain, the mother-to-be can ask her obstetrician.