<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Introduction. Newborn screening in whole Slovenia started in 1979 with screening for phenylketonuria (PKU). Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) was added into the programme in 1981. The aim of this study was to analyse the data of neonatal screening in Slovenia from 1993 to 2012 for PKU, and from 1991 to 2012 for CH. Methods. Blood samples were collected from the heels of newborns between the third and the fifth day after birth. Fluorometric method was used for screening for PKU, CH screening was done by dissociationenhanced lanthanide fluorescent immunoassay (DELFIA). Results. From 1993 to 2012, from 385,831 newborns 57 were identified with PKU. 184 newborns out of 427,396 screened from 1991 to 2012, were confirmed for CH. Incidences of PKU and CH in the periods stated are 1:6769 and 1:2323, respectively. Conclusions. Successful implementation of newborn screening for PKU and CH has helped in preventing serious disabilities of the affected children. Adding screening for new metabolic diseases in the future would be beneficial.</abstract>

Introduction. Newborn screening in whole Slovenia started in 1979 with screening for phenylketonuria (PKU). Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) was added into the programme in 1981. The aim of this study was to analyse the data of neonatal screening in Slovenia from 1993 to 2012 for PKU, and from 1991 to 2012 for CH. Methods. Blood samples were collected from the heels of newborns between the third and the fifth day after birth. Fluorometric method was used for screening for PKU, CH screening was done by dissociationenhanced lanthanide fluorescent immunoassay (DELFIA). Results. From 1993 to 2012, from 385,831 newborns 57 were identified with PKU. 184 newborns out of 427,396 screened from 1991 to 2012, were confirmed for CH. Incidences of PKU and CH in the periods stated are 1:6769 and 1:2323, respectively. Conclusions. Successful implementation of newborn screening for PKU and CH has helped in preventing serious disabilities of the affected children. Adding screening for new metabolic diseases in the future would be beneficial.

Newborn Screening in Slovenia / Presejanje Novorojencev V Sloveniji

University Medical Centre Ljubljana, University Children’s Hospital, Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Bohoriceva 20, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Zaloska cesta 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

University Medical Centre Ljubljana, University Children’s Hospital, Unit for Special Laboratory Diagnostics, Vrazov trg 1, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Medicine, Vrazov trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Slovenian Journal of Public Health

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"Newborn Screening in Slovenia / Presejanje Novorojencev V Sloveniji"}

Introduction. Newborn screening in whole Slovenia started in 1979 with screening for phenylketonuria (PKU). Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) was added into the...

Newborn Screening in Slovenia / Presejanje Novorojencev V Sloveniji

Published Online: Mar 13, 2015

Page range: 86 - 90

Received: Nov 07, 2014

Accepted: Jan 13, 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/sjph-2015-0013

© National Institute of Public Health, Slovenia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.