Health & Pregnancy

States Rated on Birth Defect Testing

Good and Not-So-Good States

Eight states and Puerto Rico routinely conduct only the four basic birth-defect tests on all children. These are Arkansas, California, Kansas, Kentucky, Montana, Oklahoma (which has authorized but not implemented two additional tests), Utah, and West Virginia. South Dakota performs only three tests on all newborns; it also performs additional tests only on selected populations.

All but two of these states, however, test at least 90% of their children for hearing loss. California tests only 66% of its kids' hearing; South Dakota tests 85.6%.

Seventeen states currently test for all recommended birth defects and test at least 90% of kids for hearing loss. These are: Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin.