Due to scheduled maintenance at the State Data Center, azdhs.gov and associated services may be unavailable intermittently on Saturday, June 15th, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Office of Newborn Screening
Testing & Specimen Collection – Specimen Retention
Newborn screening bloodspot specimens and attached information submitted to the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) are the property of the ADHS.
Access to specimens and submitted information is restricted to ADHS employees and contractors approved by the Office of Newborn Screening Manager as necessary to meet specific program needs. All applicable laws, regulations and policies safeguarding the privacy and confidentiality of medical information are followed by those with access to these specimens and attached information.
Specimens are stored at room temperature for 90 days and then autoclaved and discarded. Specimens of interest (confirmed cases) may be frozen and retained for quality assurance purposes.
During the storage period and after the newborn screening tests are complete, residual dried blood may be used for lab methodology development or validation or other quality assurance testing.
Specimens may be released to others under certain circumstances including:
- Written request from a provider, at the request of a parent or guardian. Bloodspot specimens will not be returned directly to a newborn's parent or guardian.
- By written request from the Office of the Medical Examiner
- To named persons in a court order or subpoena