Newborn screening specimen collection guide

The below examples of poor quality blood spots are designed to help assist midwives when taking newborn bloodspots.

The perfect card

Spots too small, only single punch available from a spot

Multi spotted sample, cannot be used

Insufficient and discoloured

Spot 3 only valid spot on card as can get 2 punches from it

Multi spotted – cannot be used

Compressed – darker ring around edge – cannot be used

Spot 3 only valid spot on card as can get 2 punches from it

Multi spotted, too wet when put in envelope

Too small and multi spotted

Liquid damage

Multi and discoloured – cannot be used

Ridged – cannot be used

Download leaflet

Download a PDF version of the above information below.

Bloodspot examples (195kB pdf)