2019 Mississippi Code
Title 41 - Public Health
Chapter 21 - Individuals With Mental Illness or an Intellectual Disability
Screening, Testing, and Investigation by State Board of Health
§ 41-21-203. Testing of newborn children for certain conditions
(1) All newborn infants shall be screened by the physician or other health-care provider attending the infant, using tests that have been approved by the State Board of Health, to detect those conditions listed in Section 41-21-201 and the other conditions specified by the State Board of Health for the comprehensive newborn screening program. However, no such tests shall be given to any child whose parents object thereto on the grounds that the test conflicts with his religious practices or tenets. The tests provided under the comprehensive newborn screening program shall be evaluated in laboratories located in the United States. The State Department of Health shall follow up all positive tests with the attending physician or other health-care provider who notified the department thereof, and with the parents of the newborn child. The services and facilities of the State Department of Health and those of other state boards, departments and agencies cooperating with the State Department of Health in carrying out the comprehensive newborn screening program shall be made available to all newborn infants with abnormal screening tests.
(2) The State Department of Health shall provide ongoing epidemiologic surveillance of the comprehensive newborn screening program to determine the efficacy and cost effectiveness of screening newborn infants.