Heel prick and hearing test (hielprik en gehoortest)
In the first week a health worker comes to your home to take a few drops of blood from the baby's heel and to test their hearing; the hearing test is sometimes done at the consultatiebureau instead. The heel prick screens for a set of rare but treatable conditions. Checked against pns.nl on 22 September 2026.
- Who it applies to
- Everyone having a baby in the Netherlands
- On your timeline
- Paperbump schedules this between 1 day and 7 days after the birth
- Official source
- pns.nl
- Last checked
- 22 September 2026
What else to know
Both are free and both are a choice. Registering the birth on time is what sets this in motion, so if nobody has been in touch by the end of the first week, contact your regional RIVM office.
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