[Sonographic screening of newborn infants]

527 consecutive births were screened by real time ultrasound for detecting malformations of the brain, the heart, kidneys, hips and abdominal organs. Sonography was performed during the first day of life together with the clinical examination. 18 major malformations were found. In 8 of these patients (45%), the malformation could not be diagnosed by clinical examination alone. Only 2 of those neonates were assumed to develop clinical symptoms the following days. The rate of incidence of renal malformations proven by this single ultrasound examination was 7 times higher than normally detected by the preventive clinical screening programme within the first four years.