STATE OF TENNESSEE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
CORDELL HULL BUILDING
425 5TH AVENUE NORTH
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE 37243
MEMORANDUM
Date: August 5, 2011
From: Michael D. Warren, MD MPH
Director, Maternal & Child Health, Tennessee Department of Health
Re: Notification of Infant Deaths
The Newborn Screening Program is required by law to follow up on any abnormal newborn screen (metabolic, genetic, and hearing). For any abnormal case, attempts are made to contact the family and primary care provider until the case is closed (follow-up complete, diagnosis finalized, infant noted to be deceased, etc).
In the case of an infant death, the Newborn Screening Program is not aware of the death unless notified by a primary care provider, hospital, or local health department. Because of the requirements for follow-up, if the Program is not aware an infant death has occurred, attempts may be made to contact the family to follow up on abnormal screens even after the infant’s death. It is therefore imperative that you notify the Newborn Screening Program immediately upon the death of an infant, so the record can be marked. This helps us avoid a distressing call to the family of a deceased infant.
To notify the Newborn Screening Program, please use the following steps:
• Fax the following information to the Newborn Screening Program at 615-262-6458:
o Your name
o The infant’s name
o Date of birth
o Mother’s name
o Date the infant expired
o Hospital of birth
o Hospital Medical Record Number (if known)
• Or call the Newborn Screening Program at 615-262-6304
We appreciate your ongoing support of the Newborn Screening Program. Should you have any questions or if our Newborn Screening team can ever be of assistance, please call us at 615-262-6304 8/8/11
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------