title: Can severe neonatal jaundice be prevented by neonatal screening for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency?--a review of evidence.
abstract: An evidence-based approach is used to evaluate the neonatal screening program for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency. The primary consideration to include G-6-PD deficiency (G-6-PDD) in neonatal screening program was the public health burden of G-6-PDD-associated neonatal jaundice (G-6-PDDANJ) in the target population. However, the prevalence of G-6-PDD per se cannot be the sole index of the public health burden of G-6-PDDANJ. In more developed areas, G-6-PDDANJ is no longer a major public health problem. Further, most cases with G-6-PDDANJ in more developed areas are not precipitated by any identifiable icterogenic agents, and therefore not preventable by avoidance education. In less developed areas, however, G-6-PDDANJ is still a big public health burden and requires intervention. In this study, the effectiveness of neonatal screening programs for G-6-PDD to prevent severe neonatal jaundice(NJ) has been shown based on historical comparison, but the results may be confounded by other temporal factors. G-6-PDDANJ usually occurs in the first week after birth. Prompt need for G-6-PD screening results precludes it from incorporation into other existent neonatal screening programs (i.e., for PKU), and from centralization of laboratory work. The efficacy, adverse effects and cost-effectiveness of this mass screening program need further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, R.O.C.
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Chuu
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005955:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007567:Jaundice, Neonatal / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015997:Neonatal Screening / Q000191:economics