Allysa M Dijkstra, Kimber Evers-van Vliet, M Rebecca Heiner-Fokkema, Frank A J A Bodewes, Dennis K Bos, József Zsiros, Koen J van Aerde, Klaas Koop, Francjan J van Spronsen, Charlotte M A Lubout
{"title":"Reply to Bouva et al. Comment on \"Dijkstra et al. A False-Negative Newborn Screen for Tyrosinemia Type 1-Need for Re-Evaluation of Newborn Screening with Succinylacetone. <i>Int. J. Neonatal Screen.</i> 2023, <i>9</i>, 66\".","authors":"Allysa M Dijkstra, Kimber Evers-van Vliet, M Rebecca Heiner-Fokkema, Frank A J A Bodewes, Dennis K Bos, József Zsiros, Koen J van Aerde, Klaas Koop, Francjan J van Spronsen, Charlotte M A Lubout","doi":"10.3390/ijns10040066","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijns10040066","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We thank the authors for their comments [...].</p>","PeriodicalId":14159,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Neonatal Screening","volume":"10 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11503373/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142500439","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Comment on Dijkstra et al. A False-Negative Newborn Screen for Tyrosinemia Type 1-Need for Re-Evaluation of Newborn Screening with Succinylacetone. <i>Int. J. Neonatal Screen.</i> 2023, <i>9</i>, 66.","authors":"Marelle J Bouva, Rose E Maase, Ruurd M van Elburg","doi":"10.3390/ijns10040065","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijns10040065","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The assessment of newborn screening (NBS) algorithms' performance to ensure quality improvements is a continuous process: false-positive referrals can enable optimisations in the shorter term, but false-negative referrals are often only discovered many years after the screening has taken place [...].</p>","PeriodicalId":14159,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Neonatal Screening","volume":"10 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11503260/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142500435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Charting the Ethical Frontier in Newborn Screening Research: Insights from the NBSTRN ELSI Researcher Needs Survey.","authors":"Yekaterina Unnikumaran, Mei Lietsch, Amy Brower","doi":"10.3390/ijns10030064","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ijns10030064","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>From 2008 to 2024, the Newborn Screening Translational Research Network (NBSTRN), part of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Hunter Kelly Newborn Screening Program, served as a robust infrastructure to facilitate groundbreaking research in newborn screening (NBS), public health, rare disease, and genomics. Over its sixteen years, NBSTRN developed into a significant international network, supporting innovative research on novel technologies to screen, diagnose, treat, manage, and understand the natural history of more than 280 rare diseases. The NBSTRN tools and resources were used by a variety of stakeholders including researchers, clinicians, state NBS programs, parents, families, and policy makers. Resources and expertise for the newborn screening community in ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) has been an important area of focus for the NBSTRN and this includes efforts across the NBS system from pilot studies of candidate conditions to public health implementation of screening for new conditions, and the longitudinal follow-up of NBS-identified individuals to inform health outcomes and disease understanding. In 2023, the NBSTRN conducted a survey to explore ELSI issues in NBS research, specifically those encountered by the NBS community. Since NBS research involves collaboration among researchers, state NBS programs, clinicians, and families, the survey was broadly designed and disseminated to engage all key stakeholders. With responses from 88 members of the NBS community, including researchers and state NBS programs, the survey found that individuals rely most on institutional and collegial resources when they encounter ELSI questions. Most survey responses ranked privacy as extremely or very important in NBS research and identified the need for policies that address informed consent in NBS research. The survey results highlight the need for improved collaborative resources and educational programs focused on ELSI for the NBS community. The survey results inform future efforts in ELSI and NBS research in the United States (U.S.) and the rest of the world, including the development of policies and expanded ELSI initiatives and tools that address the needs of all NBS stakeholders.</p>","PeriodicalId":14159,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Neonatal Screening","volume":"10 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11417897/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142287122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ronda F Greaves, Jo-Ann Northfield, Lauren Cross, Nazha Mawad, Thanh Nguyen, Maggie Tan, Michele A O'Connell, James Pitt
{"title":"Managing Newborn Screening Repeat Collections for Sick and Preterm Neonates.","authors":"Ronda F Greaves, Jo-Ann Northfield, Lauren Cross, Nazha Mawad, Thanh Nguyen, Maggie Tan, Michele A O'Connell, James Pitt","doi":"10.3390/ijns10030063","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ijns10030063","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Some preterm and sick neonates have altered biochemical profiles and follow-up newborn screening (NBS) collections are recommended. The Victorian NBS program historically recommended repeat collections for babies with birth weight < 1500 g (managed by the maternity service provider) and 3 weeks post-transfusion (managed by the laboratory). We aimed to determine adherence to current guidelines and review the guidelines to improve NBS performance. To do this, we audited data from 348,584 babies between January 2018 and June 2022. Babies with a recorded birth weight of <1500 g were filtered for inclusion. For the overall review and visualization of the protocol, we sourced information from the literature, our professional society and tertiary hospital services. A total of 2647 babies had a birth weight recorded between 200 and 1499 g. Of these, 2036 (77%) had a second sample collected, indicating that >1 in 5 babies were not receiving a follow-up collection. Our timing of repeat collections for transfused babies, requiring a 3-week follow-up collection, was longer than in other Australasian jurisdictions. A new combined \"sick-prem protocol\" was launched to support repeat collections and after a 1-year review achieved 95% compliance. We recommend NBS laboratories audit preterm and sick neonate repeat collections to ensure appropriate follow-up. This should be supported with a visual process map to aid education and compliance.</p>","PeriodicalId":14159,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Neonatal Screening","volume":"10 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11417707/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142287125","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elena Schnabel-Besson, Ulrike Mütze, Nicola Dikow, Friederike Hörster, Marina A Morath, Karla Alex, Heiko Brennenstuhl, Sascha Settegast, Jürgen G Okun, Christian P Schaaf, Eva C Winkler, Stefan Kölker
{"title":"Wilson and Jungner Revisited: Are Screening Criteria Fit for the 21st Century?","authors":"Elena Schnabel-Besson, Ulrike Mütze, Nicola Dikow, Friederike Hörster, Marina A Morath, Karla Alex, Heiko Brennenstuhl, Sascha Settegast, Jürgen G Okun, Christian P Schaaf, Eva C Winkler, Stefan Kölker","doi":"10.3390/ijns10030062","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ijns10030062","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Driven by technological innovations, newborn screening (NBS) panels have been expanded and the development of genomic NBS pilot programs is rapidly progressing. Decisions on disease selection for NBS are still based on the Wilson and Jungner (WJ) criteria published in 1968. Despite this uniform reference, interpretation of the WJ criteria and actual disease selection for NBS programs are highly variable. A systematic literature search [PubMED search \"Wilson\" AND \"Jungner\"; last search 16.07.22] was performed to evaluate the applicability of the WJ criteria for current and future NBS programs and the need for adaptation. By at least two reviewers, 105 publications (systematic literature search, N = 77; manual search, N = 28) were screened for relevant content and, finally, 38 publications were evaluated. Limited by the study design of qualitative text analysis, no statistical evaluation was performed, but a structured collection of reported aspects of criticism and proposed improvements was instead collated. This revealed a set of general limitations of the WJ criteria, such as imprecise terminology, lack of measurability and objectivity, missing pediatric focus, and absent guidance on program management. Furthermore, it unraveled specific aspects of criticism on clinical, diagnostic, therapeutic, and economical aspects. A major obstacle was found to be the incompletely understood natural history and phenotypic diversity of rare diseases prior to NBS implementation, resulting in uncertainty about case definition, risk stratification, and indications for treatment. This gap could be closed through the systematic collection and evaluation of real-world evidence on the quality, safety, and (cost-)effectiveness of NBS, as well as the long-term benefits experienced by screened individuals. An integrated NBS public health program that is designed to continuously learn would fulfil these requirements, and a multi-dimensional framework for future NBS programs integrating medical, ethical, legal, and societal perspectives is overdue.</p>","PeriodicalId":14159,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Neonatal Screening","volume":"10 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11417796/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142287126","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Stacey Quesada, Lauren Barringer, Marci K Sontag, Yvonne Kellar-Guenther
{"title":"A Qualitative Study on Engaged Families' Experiences with Long-Term Follow-Up Care in the Colorado/Wyoming Newborn Screening System.","authors":"Stacey Quesada, Lauren Barringer, Marci K Sontag, Yvonne Kellar-Guenther","doi":"10.3390/ijns10030061","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ijns10030061","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Understanding whether the long-term follow-up (LTFU) system is working for families is critical to measuring the success of newborn screening (NBS) and understanding why some families are lost to follow-up. Caregivers were recruited from six pediatric specialty care clinics. Data were gathered from caregivers via five focus groups and one individual interview (<i>n</i> = 24). Caregiver participants represented a wide range of children's ages and conditions identified through NBS. While this is not the first study to gather caregivers' input on LTFU, it provides a wide breadth of perspectives (e.g., metabolic, endocrine, hemoglobinopathy, etc.). When asked about goals for their children, caregivers identified health-related goals (i.e., children able to care for themselves, not hindered by diagnosis) and non-health related goals (i.e., defining themselves outside of disease, participating in sports, making friends). In describing the LTFU care they want and need for their child and the key factors that influence access and engagement, caregivers identified three themes: communication and relationships with providers; care team roles and factors; and care access and utilization factors. The themes identified are not disjointed; they are intertwined and illustrate the lived experiences of a sample of families engaged in LTFU care.</p>","PeriodicalId":14159,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Neonatal Screening","volume":"10 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11417874/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142287121","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Stuart J Moat, James R Bonham, Christine Cavanagh, Margaret Birch, Caroline Griffith, Lynette Shakespeare, Clare Le Masurier, Claire Manfredonia, Beverly Hird, Philippa Goddard, Sarah Smith, Laura Wainwright, Rachel S Carling, Jennifer Cundick, Fiona Jenkinson, Catherine Collingwood, Nick Flynn, Nazia Taj, Mehdi Mirzazadeh, Tejswurree Ramgoolam, Liz Robinson, Amy Headley, Tessa Morgan, David Elliman, Lesley Tetlow
{"title":"Consistency in the Assessment of Dried Blood Spot Specimen Size and Quality in U.K. Newborn Screening Laboratories.","authors":"Stuart J Moat, James R Bonham, Christine Cavanagh, Margaret Birch, Caroline Griffith, Lynette Shakespeare, Clare Le Masurier, Claire Manfredonia, Beverly Hird, Philippa Goddard, Sarah Smith, Laura Wainwright, Rachel S Carling, Jennifer Cundick, Fiona Jenkinson, Catherine Collingwood, Nick Flynn, Nazia Taj, Mehdi Mirzazadeh, Tejswurree Ramgoolam, Liz Robinson, Amy Headley, Tessa Morgan, David Elliman, Lesley Tetlow","doi":"10.3390/ijns10030060","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ijns10030060","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In 2015, U.K. newborn screening (NBS) laboratory guidelines were introduced to standardize dried blood spot (DBS) specimen quality acceptance and specify a minimum acceptable DBS diameter of ≥7 mm. The UK 'acceptable' avoidable repeat rate (AVRR) is ≤2%. To assess inter-laboratory variability in specimen acceptance/rejection, two sets of colored scanned images (<i>n</i> = 40/set) of both good and poor-quality DBS specimens were distributed to all 16 U.K. NBS laboratories for evaluation as part of an external quality assurance (EQA) assessment. The mean (range) number of specimens rejected in the first EQA distribution was 7 (1-16) and in the second EQA distribution was 7 (0-16), demonstrating that adherence to the 2015 guidelines was highly variable. A new minimum standard for DBS size of ≥8 mm (to enable a minimum of six sub-punches from two DBS) was discussed. NBS laboratories undertook a prospective audit and demonstrated that using ≥8 mm as the minimum acceptable DBS diameter would increase the AVRR from 2.1% (range 0.55% to 5.5%) to 7.8% (range 0.55% to 22.7%). A significant inverse association between the number of specimens rejected in the DBS EQA distributions and the predicted AVVR (using ≥8 mm minimum standard) was observed (r = -0.734, <i>p</i> = 0.003). Before implementing more stringent standards, the impact of a standard operating procedure (SOP) designed to enable a standardized approach of visual assessment and using the existing ≥7 mm diameter (to enable a minimum of four sub-punches from two DBS) as the minimum standard was assessed in a retrospective audit. Implementation of the SOP and using the ≥7 mm DBS diameter would increase the AVRR from 2.3% (range 0.63% to 5.3%) to 6.5% (range 4.3% to 20.9%). The results demonstrate that there is inconsistency in applying the acceptance/rejection criteria, and that a low AVVR is not an indication of good-quality specimens being received into laboratories. Further work is underway to introduce and maintain standards without increasing the AVRR to unacceptable levels.</p>","PeriodicalId":14159,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Neonatal Screening","volume":"10 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11417764/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142287124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Barbra Charina V Cavan, Leniza G de Castro-Hamoy, Conchita G Abarquez, Ebner Bon G Maceda, Maria Melanie Liberty B Alcausin
{"title":"Clinical, Biochemical, and Molecular Characteristics of Filipino Patients with Tyrosinemia Type 1.","authors":"Barbra Charina V Cavan, Leniza G de Castro-Hamoy, Conchita G Abarquez, Ebner Bon G Maceda, Maria Melanie Liberty B Alcausin","doi":"10.3390/ijns10030059","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ijns10030059","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hereditary tyrosinemia type I (HT1), or hepatorenal tyrosinemia, is an amino acid disorder which may cause hepatic failure as well as renal and neurologic comorbidities. Early detection of this disorder is possible with newborn screening (NBS). The objective of this study is to describe the clinical, biochemical, and molecular characteristics of Filipino patients diagnosed with HT1 through the expansion of the Philippine NBS program in 2014. There were a total of 16 patients with confirmed HT1 from then until September 2022. Clinical and biochemical data during confirmation and initial evaluation, as well as molecular data, were obtained from the patients' medical records. The cohort included children between the ages of 18 and 54 months at the time of data collection. The mean age at treatment initiation was 26.8 days. The mean succinylacetone level from dried blood spot sampling using tandem mass spectrometry (MS) was 11.1 µmol/L. Biochemical confirmatory tests via plasma amino acid analysis showed mean levels of tyrosine, phenylalanine, and methionine of 506.1 µmol/L, 111.5 µmol/L, and 125.4 µmol/L, respectively. Upon urine organic acid (UOA) analysis, succinylacetone was detected in all except for one patient, who was managed prior to UOA analysis. The most common clinical characteristics were abnormal clotting times (62.5%), elevated alpha fetoprotein (37.5%), anemia (31.3%), and metabolic acidosis (31.3%). The most common genotype was homozygous c.122T>C p.Leu41Pro in 64.3% of patients. The allelic frequency of this pathogenic variant is 71.4%. The inclusion of HT1 in the Philippine NBS program allowed early diagnosis and management of HT1 patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":14159,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Neonatal Screening","volume":"10 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11417744/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142287123","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Craig M Zaidman, Cameron D Crockett, Ethan Wedge, Grace Tabatabai, Natalie Goedeker
{"title":"Newborn Screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Variations in Practice and Early Management of Infants with Spinal Muscular Atrophy in the United States.","authors":"Craig M Zaidman, Cameron D Crockett, Ethan Wedge, Grace Tabatabai, Natalie Goedeker","doi":"10.3390/ijns10030058","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ijns10030058","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In the United States (U.S.), newborn screening (NBS) for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is implemented by individual states. There is likely variation in the practice patterns of state NBS programs and among the providers caring for newborns with SMA. This is a prospective, descriptive, observational study that seeks to quantify and describe practice patterns and heterogeneities in state NBS programs and provider practices in the U.S. We surveyed U.S. state NBS programs and care providers of newborns with SMA. Thirty states and 41 practitioners responded. NBS program practices vary by state. Most (74%) state programs provide results to both primary care and specialist providers and also defer confirmatory SMA testing to those providers. Two states had relatively high rates of false-positive or inclusive results. The total birth prevalence of SMA was 1:13,862. Most providers were in tertiary care centers (90%) and were child neurologists (81%) and/or had fellowship training in Neuromuscular Medicine or Electromyography (76%). All providers see new referrals in less than a week, but many do not initiate treatment until >3 weeks of age (39%), with most commonly reported delays related to insurance processes. Most (81%) prefer onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi (OA) as the treatment of choice, mainly due to perceived efficacy and the route/frequency of administration. NBS practice patterns in the U.S. vary by state but overall yielded the predicted birth prevalence of positive results. Providers evaluate these newborns urgently, but many do not initiate therapy until after 3 weeks of age. Treatment delays are mainly related to insurance processes.</p>","PeriodicalId":14159,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Neonatal Screening","volume":"10 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11348092/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142072825","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Our Journey from Individual Efforts to Nationwide Support: Implementing Newborn Screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy in Serbia.","authors":"Miloš Brkušanin, Nemanja Garai, Jelena Karanović, Tamara Šljivančanin Jakovljević, Aleksandra Dimitrijević, Kristina Jovanović, Tanja Lazić Mitrović, Željko Miković, Goran Brajušković, Dimitrije Mihailo Nikolić, Dušanka Savić-Pavićević","doi":"10.3390/ijns10030057","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ijns10030057","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Innovative treatments for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) yield the utmost advantages only within the presymptomatic phase, underlining the significance of newborn screening (NBS). We aimed to establish statewide NBS for SMA in Serbia. Our stepwise implementation process involved technical validation of a screening assay, collaboration with patient organizations and medical professionals, a feasibility study, and negotiation with public health representatives. Over 12,000 newborns were tested during the 17-month feasibility study, revealing two unrelated SMA infants and one older sibling. All three children received therapeutic interventions during the presymptomatic phase and have shown no signs of SMA. No false-negative results were found among the negative test results. As frontrunners in this field in Serbia, we established screening and diagnostic algorithms and follow-up protocols and raised awareness among stakeholders about the importance of early disease detection, leading to the incorporation of NBS for SMA into the national program on 15 September 2023. Since then, 54,393 newborns have been tested, identifying six SMA cases and enabling timely treatment. Our study demonstrates that effective collaborations between academia, non-profit organizations, and industry are crucial in bringing innovative healthcare initiatives to fruition, and highlights the potential of NBS to revolutionize healthcare outcomes for presymptomatic SMA infants and their families.</p>","PeriodicalId":14159,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Neonatal Screening","volume":"10 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11348157/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142072826","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}