LAUSR

Background Neonatal screening programs have been established and are in use in most countries worldwide. Laos belongs to the few countries which still have not established any kind of newborn screening. Description Participants of an initial pilot project between 2008 and 2010 were the large maternity hospitals within the city of Vientiane (Mahosot Hospital [2.500 deliveries], Sethathirath Hospital [2.000 deliveries], Friendship Hospital [700 deliveries], and Mother & Child Health Hospital [3.500 deliveries]). Samples were taken immediately prior to hospital discharge and once weekly air-shipped to a German screening laboratory. Lession learned Altogether 11.362 samples of newborn infants have been examined. The rate of retests was above European average due to very early discharge policies in Laotian maternity hospitals. Confirmed cases of neonatal congenital diseases included two infants with hypothyroidism and one infant with congenital adrenal hyperplasia without salt-loss. All three infant received early therapy and are currently doing well. Next steps To re-establish newborn screening in a sustained manner following the demonstration of feasibility during the pilot project. Newborn screening for TSH will be initiated in early 2019 in all delivery hospitals in the urban area of Vientiane, capital of Laos. As opposed to the pilot project, measurements in the lab will take place within the country at the laboratory of the largest delivery hospital in Vientiane, the Mother & Newborn Hospital.