Regional implementation of newborn screening for critical congenital heart disease screening in Abu Dhabi

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatrics
• Neonatology

Background:

• Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect, affecting 8 in 1,000 infants.
• Critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) often goes undetected in newborns despite existing screening measures.
• Previous CCHD screening programs were limited to individual hospital implementations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the successful implementation of CCHD screening across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
• To detail the emirate-level CCHD screening strategy utilizing a "train-the-trainer" approach.
• To report on the initial outcomes and identify barriers in a large-scale CCHD screening program.

Main Methods:

• Emirates-level CCHD screening program implemented by the Health Authority-Abu Dhabi (HAAD) and Children's National Medical Center.
• A "train-the-trainer," two-tiered approach was adopted, starting with pilot hospitals.
• CCHD screening was integrated as a mandatory test into the HAAD Newborn Screening Standard.

Main Results:

• CCHD screening was implemented in most birthing facilities, covering 86% of infants in Abu Dhabi within the first year.
• Ten newborns with CCHD were successfully identified through the screening program.
• Barriers to implementation were identified and mitigated, facilitating program rollout.

Conclusions:

• Emirate-level CCHD screening is feasible and effective in identifying affected newborns.
• The "train-the-trainer" model and mandatory integration proved successful for widespread CCHD screening.
• The Abu Dhabi CCHD screening model offers a scalable approach for other populations.