Mass newborn screening in Singapore.

Births in Singapore are almost exclusively in hospitals and this is conducive to mass newborn screening. Mass newborn screeningbegan in 1965 for G6PD deficiency and has led to successful eradication of the complicating kernicterus. Screening has also identified the distinct ethnic and sex linked variations in incidence. The predominant molecular abnormality is the Canton variant. Congenital hypothyroidism screening was started as a pilot project in 1981, then became institution-based in 1985 and nationwide in 1990. The screening is carried out on the cord blood and is now a primary TSH screen. Anincidence of about 1 in 3000 is being obtained and treatment has been started within 2 weeks of birth in almost all babies. A pilot Newborn Screening for hearing impairment started in 1999. Ituses the measurement of Transient Evoked Oto-Acoustic Emissions, is hospital based andcovers about 10% of the newborn population. The program has identified hearing impairment requiring intervention at a rate of about 1:1000 births. A program covering about 50% of the national births has been commissioned by the Ministry of Health to establish epidemiologic data and to document the outcome of early intervention. Mass newborn screening for inborn errors of metabolism is being considered.