Results of a neonatal screening program in a fourth level institution at Bogotá, Colombia.

Abstract

Introduction: On July 26, 2019, law 1980 was issued to regulate the practice of neonatal screening and constitutes it as the right of every newborn. Hospital Universitario San Ignacio is the first hospital in Colombia to implement this law as part of the comprehensive newborn care program. This study will help to characterize the population and the results that occurred during this period of time.

Objetive: To determine the results of the implementation of a neonatal screening program in a fourth level institution in Bogota, Colombia.

Materials and methods: Observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study from October 1, 2020 to January 1, 2022. Census sample of live births excluding those who died in the first month of life.

Results: The analysis included 1255 newborns. The average weight was 2850 grams with Ballard of 37.6 weeks, 50.5% were female. The mean age of the mothers was 28 years, 88% were affiliated to the contributory regime. 99.6% had normal results in the audiology consultation. The red reflex was abnormal in 0.2%, 4.5% were not performed, the rest were normal. The basic metabolic screening (BMT) was authorized by the EPS in 63.2% of the patients, and the average time taken was 5 days. Adherence of family members was 69.6%. The neonatal TSH screening was performed in 100% of the newborns, 98.2% were normal. In screening for congenital heart disease 94% of patients were normal.

Conclusions: Multicenter studies are needed in Colombia subsequent to Law 1980 of 2019 to establish the current nationwide coverage of basic neonatal metabolic screening, critical congenital heart defects, blindness and congenital deafness.

Keywords: Basic metabolic screening, heart disease, hypothyroidism, audiology, red reflex, neonatology.