Patient Toolbox

In the past, a child’s birth certificate was relatively simple, with basic data such as name and sex of child, name of mother and/or father, home address, name of hospital, city of birth, and date of birth. Today, however, the birth certificate is used to collect a significant amount of data on the child and the mother.

Every state has a mandatory newborn screening program to test for serious genetic traits and disorders in newborns. However, no consent is required to have them done. Many states also store the newborn’s DNA and share it with researchers without parent consent.