Early access to biological neonatal screening: coordination among child care action programs

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Public Health
• Neonatal Care

Background:

• Early newborn screening is vital for identifying congenital disorders.
• Timely access to biological neonatal screening ensures prompt diagnosis and treatment initiation.
• Understanding factors influencing screening access is key to improving child healthcare programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors associated with early access to biological neonatal screening in newborns.
• To analyze the relationship between child's age at collection, place of collection, and type of user with screening timeliness.
• To provide data-driven strategies for enhancing newborn screening programs.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted in São Paulo, Brazil.
• Data from 15,652 newborn screenings over two years were analyzed.
• Statistical analysis examined associations between child's age, place of collection, and type of user.

Main Results:

• Screening rates were high (over 96%) in both years.
• A significant increase in screenings performed within 3-5 days of birth was observed (73.1% to 87.6%).
• Child's age at collection showed significant associations with type of user and place of collection.

Conclusions:

• Early access to biological neonatal screening facilitates disease detection and treatment referral.
• Linking data and actions can improve access to newborn screening.
• Findings support the management of child care programs to optimize screening accessibility.