title: Expanding the comprehensive national neonatal screening programme in the United Arab Emirates from 1995 to 2011.
abstract: The national neonatal screening programme in the United Arab Emirates currently includes 16 disorders: congenital hypothyroidism, sickle-cell diseases, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, biotinidase deficiency and 12 amino acid, organic acid and fatty acid disorders. This paper reports data since the programme started in January 1995 up to December 2011 on the incidence of screened disorders and the molecular basis of positive screened cases. Screening used a combination of tandem mass spectrometry, molecular technologies and biochemical analysis. A total of 750 365 infants were screened and 717 babies saved from associated morbidity and/or mortality. The incidence of screened disorders were 1:1 873 for congenital hypothyroidism, 1:14 544 for phenylketonuria, 1:3 526 for amino acid, organic acid and fatty acid disorders, 1:9 030 for classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia, 1:8 300 for biotinidase deficiency, 1:2 384 for sickle-cell disease and 1:121 for sickle-cell traits. Coverage of neonatal screening in the population reached 95% in 2010.
authors.affiliation: Central Department of Maternal and Child Health, Ministry of Health, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Al Hosani
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, National Screening Centre, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salah
authors.affiliation: National Screening Laboratory, National Screening Centre, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Osman
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, National Screening Centre, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Farag
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, National Screening Centre, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: El-Assiouty
authors.affiliation: Central Department of Maternal and Child Health, Ministry of Health, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Saade
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Tawam Hospital, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hertecant
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015997:Neonatal Screening / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016730:Program Development; D014479:United Arab Emirates / Q000453:epidemiology