A Success Story: Review of the Implementation and Achievements of the National Newborn Screening Program for Congenital Hypothyroidism in Iran

CONTEXT: Today, newborn screening for congenital hypothyroidism (CH) as one of the significant achievements in preventive medicine is integrated into the health systems of many countries worldwide. The national newborn screening for early identification of CH disorder in Iran was established in 2004. The purpose of this study was to review the national newborn screening for CH and its achievements in Iran. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: In this study, we reviewed the structures, processes, main indicators, and achievements during the 15 years of implementing the national neonatal screening program for the diagnosis and treatment of CH in Iran. RESULTS: Primary TSH measurement with backup thyroxine (T4) determination in infants with high TSH levels was used as the screening strategy in Iran. The coverage of this screening program was higher than 98%. By the end of 2017, 1,501,624 neonates were screened, among which 40,773 were diagnosed with CH and treated based on the national guidelines. The average incidence rate of CH during these years was approximately 2.6:1,000 live births. CONCLUSIONS: The performance of the newborn screening program for congenital hypothyroidism in Iran is favorable, with over a 95% coverage rate. Due to the high recall rate and incidence rate of CH, it is essential to monitor the screening program in the country and also to conduct further studies to determine the main risk factors for the high recall rate and incidence of this congenital error.