Universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) with otoacoustic emissions (OAE) or automated auditory brainstem evoked potentials (ABEP-A) testing is recommended for early detection of permanent bilateral hearing loss (PBHL). UNHS should be accompanied by diagnostic and treatment services for infants in whom hearing loss is detected.
Universal neonatal screening for eye anomalies is recommended. This should be accompanied by diagnostic and treatment services for infants in whom an abnormality is detected.
An estimated 1.14 million children aged 0-15 years are blind or have severe visual impairment due to eye conditions. The main causes of blindness are congenital and developmental cataracts, corneal scarring, congenital ocular anomalies, retinal dystrophies, glaucoma, and retinopathy of prematurity.
Universal screening for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia with transcutaneous bilirubinometer (TcB) is recommended at the time of discharge from the health center.
Physicians should ensure that all newborns are systematically monitored to rule out the potential occurrence of jaundice during the stay in the health center.
The postnatal age for universal TcB screening at discharge should be based on when the baby is discharged from the health center.
Universal neonatal screening for eye anomalies is recommended. This should be accompanied by diagnostic and treatment services for infants in whom an abnormality is detected.
An estimated 1.14 million children aged 0-15 years are blind or have severe visual impairment due to eye conditions. The main causes of blindness are congenital and developmental cataracts, corneal scarring, congenital ocular anomalies, retinal dystrophies, glaucoma, and retinopathy of prematurity.
Screening tests are required for the following conditions:
- Inborn errors of metabolism and heart diseases. The tests should be carried out with a dried blood spot sample (heel prick), within 24 to 36 hours of birth. The number and type of diseases that should be screened depends on the screening package offered in each country.
- Critical congenital heart disease. This should be tested with pulse oximetry within 24 hours of birth.
Neonates requiring supplementary oxygen should be screened after 24 hours of being clinically stable, in ambient air.
Screening tests evaluate different health conditions before newborns are discharged from the care center. These tests, or screenings, allow the diagnosis of neurometabolic or structural diseases, such as congenital heart defects or hip dislocation.