Newborn Screening Market: Growth, Opportunities, Key Players & Forecast Outlook 2027
Global Newborn Screening Market Overview
The Global Newborn
Screening Market is projected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 6–8% by
2027, supported by rising birth defects worldwide, improvements in laboratory
efficiency, expanding population bases, and increasing income levels in
South-East Asia and other developing economies.
Key Request a free sample copy or view report summary: https://meditechinsights.com/newborn-screening-market/request-sample/
Newborn screening plays a foundational role in early healthcare by detecting metabolic, hormonal, and genetic abnormalities at the earliest stages of life. This early identification allows timely clinical intervention, significantly reducing the likelihood of long-term complications and improving developmental outcomes.
These screening programs typically focus on disorders that are not outwardly
visible during the neonatal period but are treatable when discovered early.
Conditions most frequently assessed include congenital hypothyroidism (CH),
Phenylketonuria (PKU), congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), cystic fibrosis
(CF), galactosemia (GAL), tyrosinemia type I (HT1), sickle cell anemia, G6PD
deficiency, congenital hearing loss, and structural heart defects.
Screening is primarily facilitated using three essential diagnostic approaches.
Blood spot testing relies on established methods such as tandem mass
spectrometry (MS/MS), bacterial inhibition assays, ELISA, fluorometric
enzymatic testing, colorimetric approaches, and immunoradiometric assays.
Hearing evaluation is conducted using Automated Auditory Brainstem Response
(AABR) or Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) testing to identify potential auditory
impairment.
Pulse oximetry measures the percentage of oxygen saturation in hemoglobin,
assisting in early detection of critical congenital heart defects before
symptoms appear.
Population Growth, Birth Defect Rates,
and Favorable Policies Propel Market Expansion
Global demographic expansion is one of the strongest drivers for the newborn
screening industry.
The world population is projected to reach roughly 9.7 billion by 2050, up from
8 billion in 2022, and improved access to primary healthcare has contributed
significantly to global life expectancy, which rose from 46.5 years in 1950 to
over 71 years in 2021.
Every year, an estimated 8 million infants worldwide are born with one or more
birth defects.
According to the CDC, birth defects impact approximately 1 in every 33 newborns
in the United States, representing nearly 3% of all annual births.
In the WHO South-East Asia Region, birth defects as a contributor to child
mortality increased from 6.2% in 2010 to 9.2% in 2019, emphasizing the need for
comprehensive newborn screening services.
Frequent severe congenital conditions include heart defects, Down syndrome, and
neural tube defects, many of which stem from complex genetic, nutritional,
infectious, or environmental interactions.
To address the rising incidence, governments and global health agencies are
intensifying efforts to prevent, diagnose, and manage birth defects through
national programs, routine screening, workforce development, and investment in
diagnostic technologies.
Several developing countries are accelerating newborn screening adoption.
Brazil introduced legislation in 2021 mandating nationwide expanded newborn
screening by June 2022, with ongoing inclusion of conditions like lysosomal
storage diseases, immunodeficiencies, and spinal muscular atrophy.
Colombia, Chile, and Panama are actively expanding coverage from 70–80% of
newborns to more than 90% while increasing the spectrum of screened conditions.
Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) Emerges
as a Transformational Driver
Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) is gaining significant momentum in neonatal
care and newborn screening, especially in high-income regions.
NGS enables the identification of rare and complex genetic disorders that may
not be effectively captured through conventional biochemical assays alone.
The cost of whole-exome sequencing has fallen dramatically, with U.S.-based
bioinformatics companies offering services for roughly $500–900 per sample.
Pilot initiatives are underway in the U.S., U.K., China, and other major
economies to assess the feasibility and ethical considerations of integrating
sequencing technologies into large-scale screening programs and neonatal
intensive care units.
Despite its advantages, NGS adoption still faces notable obstacles.
NGS remains more expensive than conventional assays, particularly in
resource-limited settings.
The complex data output requires specialized interpretation skills that are
scarce in developing countries.
The technology still requires extensive validation due to limited historical
data on newborn screening performance metrics.
Strategies Used by Market Leaders to
Strengthen Market Position
As many newborn screening tests are well-established, industry growth is
increasingly driven by capacity expansion, manufacturing optimization, and
strategic mergers and acquisitions.
In August 2022, PerkinElmer divested its Applied, Food, and Enterprise Services
businesses and signed a definitive agreement with New Mountain Capital for
$2.45 billion to streamline its core operations.
In the same period, Trivitron Healthcare launched a new R&D and
manufacturing complex in India dedicated to chemical-based assays, equipped to
produce more than 300 million RT-PCR kits and over 100 million ELISA, CLIA, and
NBS kits annually.
The market continues to see consolidation, technological refinement, and
expansions that are creating robust competitive advantages.
China Holds the Largest Market Share,
Followed by North America
China represents the largest newborn screening market globally, primarily due
to the high volume of births and widespread governmental support for public
health initiatives.
Although births decreased from 17.86 million in 2016 to 9.56 million in 2022,
screening coverage remains exceptionally high, with nearly 93% of newborns
undergoing testing.
Disparities exist between rural and urban settings, but the nation has
continued expanding screening networks, infrastructure, and laboratory
capabilities.
By the end of 2018, China had established approximately 238 newborn screening
centers, with screening rates surpassing 97.5%.
The country's comprehensive network—from sample collection and transport to
diagnostics, reporting, clinical care, and long-term follow-up—has been
integral to sustaining high penetration levels.
India, despite recording around 23 million births in 2022 and becoming the
world's most populous nation, lacks a unified national newborn screening
program.
However, decreasing testing and lab costs, larger manufacturing capacities
post-COVID, and economies of scale have made population-wide screening
increasingly feasible across developing nations.
Many low- and middle-income countries already have localized screening
initiatives, and ongoing government investments continue to expand access
rapidly.
Competitive Landscape Analysis: Newborn
Screening Market
Prominent companies operating in the global newborn screening market include
the following:
SCIEX
Agilent Technologies Inc.
Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc.
Covidien Plc
GE Healthcare
PerkinElmer Inc.
Masimo Corporation
Natus Medical Incorporated
Trivitron Healthcare
Waters Corporation
Labsystems Diagnostics Oy
LifeCell International Pvt. Ltd
Archer DX
Download pdf Brochure: https://meditechinsights.com/newborn-screening-market/request-sample/
About Medi-Tech Insights
Medi-Tech Insights is a healthcare-focused business research & insights firm. Our clients include Fortune 500 companies, blue-chip investors & hyper-growth start-ups. We have completed 100+ projects in Digital Health, Healthcare IT, Medical Technology, Medical Devices & Pharma Services in the areas of market assessments, due diligence, competitive intelligence, market sizing and forecasting, pricing analysis & go-to-market strategy. Our methodology includes rigorous secondary research combined with deep-dive interviews with industry-leading CXO, VPs, and key demand/supply side decision-makers.
