September is Newborn Screening Awareness Month, a time to reflect on one of the most successful public health programs in history. Newborn screening allows serious medical conditions such as congenital heart disease, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, and numerous metabolic disorders to be identified within days of birth. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that nearly four million babies are screened annually in the United States, and approximately 12,000 of them are diagnosed with a condition that might otherwise have gone undetected until it was too late (CDC, 2023).
At Aulisa Medical, our team recently visited a neonatal care unit and had the opportunity to speak with nurses and families who live this reality every day. What we heard reinforced the critical link between screening and continuous monitoring. Nurses described how quickly a newborn’s oxygen saturation or heart rate can shift, sometimes within minutes. Parents shared their relief at having screening results, but also their ongoing worry once they brought their infants home. For them, peace of mind came not just from knowing their baby had been screened, but from being able to see vital signs in real time.
This combination of screening and continuous monitoring is essential. Screening provides an early diagnosis, but infants’ conditions evolve as they grow. Without tools to track subtle changes, families and clinicians risk missing the earliest warning signs. Continuous monitoring helps bridge that gap, turning data into reassurance and enabling timely interventions that can save lives.
As we observe Newborn Screening Awareness Month, we are reminded that technology must support families at every step—from the moment of diagnosis through the daily uncertainties of early childhood. Reliable monitoring is not simply about data collection; it is about protecting fragile lives and easing the emotional burden on caregivers.
References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2023). Newborn Screening Portal. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/newbornscreening