Worldwide Newborn Screening and Early Immunizations: Aligning Advances in Preventive Pediatrics.

The year 2023 marks the 60th anniversary of the publication in Pediatrics of the landmark paper by Guthrie and Susi describing a simple method for the neonatal detection of phenylketonuria (PKU) on dried blood spots collected on filter paper (often referred to as ‘Guthrie cards’) ( 1 GUTHRIE R. SUSI A. a Simple Phenylalanine Method for Detecting Phenylketonuria in Large Populations of Newborn Infants. Pediatrics. 1963; 32: 338-343 Crossref PubMed Google Scholar ). These filter papers were then used for the presymptomatic detection of congenital hypothyroidism (CH) through the measurement of total T4 and/or TSH. Because newborn screening (NBS) led to cognitive outcomes within the normal range in children with PKU or CH, it was progressively implemented as a public health program in all high-income countries (HICs). While some HICs -such as the USA- now screen newborns for up to fifty different conditions, it is sobering that only 30% of the world’s newborns have access to any NBS at all ( 2 Ford G. Lafranchi S.H. Screening for congenital hypothyroidism: A worldwide view of strategies. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014; 28: 175-187 Crossref PubMed Google Scholar ). By contrast, BCG vaccination programs are widespread in LMICs, with most children being immunized in the first month of life (