Abstract

The screening program prevents the main complication of the disease that is, mental retardation by diagnosing the disease (most often in the 2nd up to 3rd week of birth) and immediate treatment. The aim of this study is conducting a comparison between percentage of screened recalled newborns, percentage of recognized patients among the recalled newborns, and analyzing cost-benefit of different regions of screening in Iran. In this descriptive-sectorial study, indices related to performance of the program have been taken from data of standard forms of the screening in 41 Universities of Medical Sciences and Health Services, the plan executors of 2008 Performance indices and cost-benefit of the plan have been compared and analyzed in 15 regions as the 1st group (the regions under appropriate coverage with high incidence rate) and in 12 regions as 2nd group (the regions with appropriate coverage with low incidence rate). Excel software have been used to analyze data and to draw tables and figures. Ratio of cost-benefit of the first to 3rd scenarios in the regions under coverage of first group varied from 50.35, 92.34 and 71.34 in Kashan to 22.71, 41.64 and 32.17 in South Khorasan (Birjand). This ratio varied in the regions under coverage of the second group from 8.24, 15.11 and 11.67 in North Khorasan (Bojnord) to 16.94, 31.06 and 24 in Iran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services. As ratio of cost-benefit of the screening program in different regions of Iran is effected by incidence of the disease.

Key words: Newborn screening program, congenital hypothyroidism (CH), percentage of recognized patients, rate of incidence, ratio of cost-benefit of the program.