Evaluating newborn screening program data systems--Georgia, 1998.

All 50 states and the District of Columbia conduct newborn screening (NBS) programs that annually screen approximately 4 million infants for metabolic and other disorders to prevent mental retardation, disability, and death. In 1998, Georgia newborns were screened for eight disorders: phenylketonuria, galactosemia, tyrosinemia, homocystinuria, hypothyroidism, maple syrup urine disease, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and sickle cell disease. Appropriate data that reflect progress toward achieving short- and long-term goals are necessary to assess the effectiveness of NBS and to inform public health policy decisions about which disorders to add or delete from screening. This report summarizes findings from an evaluation of data systems for metabolic and endocrine disorders in the Georgia NBS program and assesses the ability to measure progress toward short- and long-term goals. Although the data indicate that the program typically received specimens of sufficient quality for testing in a timely manner, additional data are needed to assess fully the effectiveness of the NBS program in identifying disorders.