Early Check

The goal of Early Check is to find serious health conditions in babies so they can get help sooner.

Early Check is no longer enrolling babies. Follow-up is still being provided to enrolled participants.

When babies are born in North Carolina, they get a heel prick to screen for certain health conditions. This is called standard newborn screening (NBS) and is provided by the state of North Carolina. Early Check is a research study that offers additional free screening for around 200 serious health conditions in newborn babies. Early Check tests for some of the same conditions as standard NBS plus many more.

See how it works.

Conditions Screened by Early Check

Group 1

Rare conditions that are treatable, meaning that early treatment can prevent the most serious symptoms.

Here's a list of genes and conditions included in Group 1.

Optional Group 2

Rare conditions that have potential treatments, meaning that treatments may not be able to prevent the most serious symptoms or that new treatments are still being studied.

Here's a list of genes and conditions included in Group 2.

Optional Group 3

Risk for Type 1 Diabetes, a common childhood disease that is treatable. (Note: Type 1 Diabetes is not the same as type 2 diabetes, which is more common in adults.)

What is Early Check?

What is Early Check?

Early Check is a voluntary research study that provides free health tests to new babies.

The goal of Early Check is to find serious health conditions in babies so they can get help sooner.