Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 30, 2026
Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates
Published on: December 31, 2015
[Prematurity and neonatal screening]
1Association Française pour le Dépistage et la Prévention des Handicaps de l'Enfant (AFDPHE), Laboratoire de biochimie, Hôpital St Philibert, 115 rue du grand But, 59462 Lomme cedex, France. dhondt.jeanlouis@ghicl.net
Insights
Neonatal screening for metabolic and endocrine diseases benefits full-term infants. However, prematurity complicates screening, increasing false results and necessitating strategy adjustments for preterm infants.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal medicine
- Endocrinology
- Metabolic disorders
Context:
- Neonatal screening for metabolic and endocrine diseases is crucial for full-term infants.
- Preterm infants present unique challenges in neonatal screening.
- Prematurity increases the risk of false-positive and false-negative screening results.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the impact of prematurity on neonatal screening strategies.
- To determine if gestational age-specific cut-off values are needed for preterm infants.
- To assess the necessity of repeat screening tests for preterm infants.
Summary:
- Neonatal screening offers significant benefits for full-term infants through early diagnosis and treatment.
- Preterm infants face a higher likelihood of inaccurate screening results (false positives/negatives).
- This study investigates adjustments to screening protocols, including cut-off values and repeat testing, for preterm infants.
Impact:
- Informing optimized neonatal screening protocols for preterm populations.
- Improving the accuracy and reliability of newborn screening for vulnerable infants.
- Guiding clinical decisions on adjusting screening parameters based on gestational age.
Abstract:
Neonatal screening for metabolic and endocrine diseases has clear benefits for full-term infants by providing early diagnosis and treatment to prevent or limit the severe adverse outcomes which occur in untreated infants. The situation of preterm infants is more complicated, with an increased risk of false-positive as well as false-negative screening results. The aim of this work was to evaluate the impact of prematurity in screening strategies in order to answer practical questions: is there a need or not to adjust cut-off values in accord to gestational parameters? Is there a need or not to repeat screening tests at a later age?
