Newborn Screening in Developing Countries: The Need of the Hour

Screening newborns is recognized as an important health policy. It is cost-effective and is implemented as a national health program in most developed countries. Though births in developing countries contribute to more than half of the total births globally, newborn screening (NBS) is not yet implemented in most developing countries. If not diagnosed and treated timely, some of these infants will contribute to neonatal mortality. In contrast, others will have long-term sequelae like developmental delay, learning disabilities, behavioral abnormalities, and backward academic performance in the future. In addition, the diagnosis, management, and treatment of these conditions also carry a significant financial as well as emotional burden on the family. An NBS program can be the most rational and effective way to prevent such morbidities and mortalities. NBS in developing countries competes with other health issues such as the control of infectious diseases, vaccinations, and poor nutrition. Also, lack of government support, poor economy, inadequate public health education, lack of awareness among health care workers, early discharge from hospital, and many births out of hospital are the significant obstacles in the countries that lack total coverage. It is high time now to change our attitude; our focus should be not only on the reduction of mortality and infectious morbidity but also on reducing disabilities with the introduction of screening for newborns. Integrating NBS with the national healthcare system is crucial for successful implementation in developing countries. Integration should also include a payment scheme to reduce the economic burden on families. In recent years, many developing countries have started implementing pilot projects as a step toward the national program of screening newborns.