Psychosocial Impact of a True-Positive, False-Positive, or Inconclusive Newborn Bloodspot Screening Result: A Questionnaire Study among Parents.

Expansion of newborn bloodspot screening (NBS) can increase health gain for more children but also increases the number of false-positive and uncertain results. The impact of abnormal and inconclusive NBS results on parental well-being and healthcare utilization was investigated. A questionnaire was sent to Dutch parents receiving an abnormal or inconclusive NBS result five weeks (T1) and four months (T2) post-NBS and compared to parents with a normal result (controls).

Optimizing the Dutch newborn screening for congenital hypothyroidism by incorporating amino acids and acylcarnitines in a machine learning-based model.

Objective: Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is an inborn thyroid hormone (TH) deficiency mostly caused by thyroidal (primary CH) or hypothalamic/pituitary (central CH) disturbances. Most CH newborn screening (NBS) programs are thyroid-stimulating-hormone (TSH) based, thereby only detecting primary CH. The Dutch NBS is based on measuring total thyroxine (T4) from dried blood spots, aiming to detect primary and central CH at the cost of more false-positive referrals (FPRs) (positive predictive value (PPV) of 21% in 2007-2017).

Machine learning to improve false-positive results in the Dutch newborn screening for congenital hypothyroidism.

Objective: The Dutch Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) Newborn Screening (NBS) algorithm for thyroidal and central congenital hypothyroidism (CH-T and CH-C, respectively) is primarily based on determination of thyroxine (T4) concentrations in dried blood spots, followed by thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) measurements enabling detection of both CH-T and CH-C, with a positive predictive value (PPV) of 21%. A calculated T4/TBG ratio serves as an indirect measure for free T4. The aim of this study is to investigate whether machine learning techniques can help to improve the PPV of the algorithm without missing the positive cases that should have been detected with the current algorithm.

Parents' views on accepting, declining, and expanding newborn bloodspot screening.

Introduction: The goal of newborn bloodspot screening (NBS) is the early detection of treatable disorders in newborns to offer early intervention. Worldwide, the number of conditions screened for is expanding, which might affect public acceptance. In the Netherlands, participation is high (>99%), but little is known about how parents perceive NBS.

Economic Evaluation of Different Screening Strategies for Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Based on Real-Life Data.

Although several countries have adopted severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) into their newborn screening (NBS) program, other countries are still in the decision process of adding this disorder in their program and finding the appropriate screening strategy. This decision may be influenced by the cost(-effectiveness) of these screening strategies. In this study, the cost(-effectiveness) of different NBS strategies for SCID was estimated based on real-life data from a prospective implementation study in the Netherlands.

The Methodological Quality and Challenges in Conducting Economic Evaluations of Newborn Screening: A Scoping Review.

Introduction: Cost-effectiveness (CEA) and cost-utility analyses (CUA) have become popular types of economic evaluations (EE) used for evidence-based decision-making in healthcare resource allocation. Newborn screening programs (NBS) can have significant clinical benefits for society, and cost-effectiveness analysis may help to select the optimal strategy among different screening programs, including the no-screening option, on different conditions. These economic analyses of NBS, however, are hindered by several methodological challenges.

Costs and effects of conventional vision screening and photoscreening in the Dutch preventive child health care system.

Background: Little is known about costs and effects of vision screening strategies to detect amblyopia. Aim of this study was to compare costs and effects of conventional (optotype) vision screening, photoscreening or a combination in children aged 3-6 years.

Methods: Population-based, cross-sectional study in preventive child health care in The Hague.

Evaluating progress towards triple elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B in the Netherlands.

Background: In 2014 the World Health Organisation (WHO) established validation criteria for elimination of mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of HIV and syphilis. Additionally, the WHO set targets to eliminate hepatitis, including hepatitis B (HBV). We evaluated to what extent the Netherlands has achieved the combined WHO criteria for EMTCT of HIV, syphilis and HBV.

Cost-effectiveness of newborn screening for severe combined immunodeficiency.

Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is a condition that often results in severe infections and death at young age. Early detection shortly after birth, followed by treatment before infections occur, largely increases the chances of survival. As the incidence of SCID is low, assessing cost-effectiveness of adding screening for SCID to the newborn screening program is relevant for decision making.

Introducing Newborn Screening for Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) in the Dutch Neonatal Screening Program.

The implementation of newborn screening for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) in the Netherlands is a multifaceted process in which several parties are involved. The Dutch Ministry of Health adopted the advice of the Dutch Health Council to include SCID in the Dutch newborn screening program in 2015. As newborn screening for SCID is executed with a new, relatively expensive assay for the Dutch screening laboratory, an implementation pilot study is deemed instrumental for successful implementation.

From Neonatal Hearing Screening to Intervention: Results of the Dutch Program for Neonatal Hearing Screening in Well Babies.

In the Netherlands, Youth Health Care services (YHC) have been carrying out neonatal hearing screening (NHS) in newborns since 2006. The aim of the NHS is to identify children with permanent hearing loss, so that intervention can be started before the age of 4 months. Early detection of hearing loss is important, as children who start intervention early have been shown to develop better.

Correction: Preventive child health care at elementary school age: The costs of routine assessments with a triage approach.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Preventive child health care at elementary school age: The costs of routine assessments with a triage approach.

Background: Triage in Preventive Child Health Care (PCH) assessments could further the efficient use of human resources and budgets and therefore make extra care possible for children with specific needs. We assessed the costs of routine PCH assessments with and without triage for children aged 5/6 years and 10/11 years. In a triage approach, PCH assistants conduct pre-assessments to identify children requiring follow-up assessments by a physician or nurse.

Sensitivity of fetal RHD screening for safe guidance of targeted anti-D immunoglobulin prophylaxis: prospective cohort study of a nationwide programme in the Netherlands.

Objective:  To determine the accuracy of non-invasive fetal testing for the RHD gene in week 27 of pregnancy as part of an antenatal screening programme to restrict anti-D immunoglobulin use to women carrying a child positive for RHD DESIGN:  Prospectively monitoring of fetal RHD testing accuracy compared with serological cord blood typing on introduction of the test. Fetal RHD testing was performed with a duplex real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, with cell-free fetal DNA isolated from 1 mL of maternal plasma The study period was between 4 July 2011 and 7 October 2012. The proportion of women participating in screening was determined.

Burden of Sickness Absence Due to Chronic Disease in the Dutch Workforce from 2007 to 2011.

Introduction: Chronic diseases are associated with productivity loss costs due to sickness absence. It is not always clear, however, which chronic diseases in particular are involved with how many sickness days and associated costs.

Objective: To determine the prevalence, additional days of sickness absence, and associated costs of chronic diseases among the Dutch working population from 2007 to 2011.

Helmet therapy in infants with positional skull deformation: randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of helmet therapy for positional skull deformation compared with the natural course of the condition in infants aged 5-6 months.

Design: Pragmatic, single blinded, randomised controlled trial (HEADS, HElmet therapy Assessment in Deformed Skulls) nested in a prospective cohort study.

Setting: 29 paediatric physiotherapy practices; helmet therapy was administered at four specialised centres.

Novel strategies in newborn screening for cystic fibrosis: a prospective controlled study.

Context: Newborn screening for cystic fibrosis (CF) is included in many routine programmes but current strategies have considerable drawbacks, such as false-positive tests, equivocal diagnosis and detection of carriers.

Objective: To assess the test performance of two newborn screening strategies for CF.

Design, Setting And Participants: In 2008 and 2009, CF screening was added to the routine screening programme as a prospective study in part of The Netherlands.

Adolescents risky MP3-player listening and its psychosocial correlates.

Analogue to occupational noise-induced hearing loss, MP3-induced hearing loss may be evolving into a significant social and public health problem. To inform prevention strategies and interventions, this study investigated correlates of adolescents' risky MP3-player listening behavior primarily informed by protection motivation theory. We invited 1687 adolescents (12- to 19-year old) of Dutch secondary schools to complete questionnaires about their MP3-player listening, sociodemographic characteristics and presumed psychosocial determinants of MP3-player listening.

Young people: taking few precautions against hearing loss in discotheques.

This study evaluated adolescents' music-listening risk and protective behaviors in discotheques. While frequently standing close to the loudspeakers, taking few breaks, and hardly using hearing-protection devices, many are at risk of developing permanent hearing loss. Assessing visiting mode may be a first and quick screener to identify adolescents at risk.

Estimating adolescent risk for hearing loss based on data from a large school-based survey.

Objectives: We estimated whether and to what extent a group of adolescents were at risk of developing permanent hearing loss as a result of voluntary exposure to high-volume music, and we assessed whether such exposure was associated with hearing-related symptoms.

Methods: In 2007, 1512 adolescents (aged 12-19 years) in Dutch secondary schools completed questionnaires about their music-listening behavior and whether they experienced hearing-related symptoms after listening to high-volume music. We used their self-reported data in conjunction with published average sound levels of music players, discotheques, and pop concerts to estimate their noise exposure, and we compared that exposure to our own "loosened" (i.

Discotheques and the risk of hearing loss among youth: risky listening behavior and its psychosocial correlates.

There is an increasing population at risk of hearing loss and tinnitus due to increasing high-volume music listening. To inform prevention strategies and interventions, this study aimed to identify important protection motivation theory-based constructs as well as the constructs 'consideration of future consequences' and 'habit strength' as correlates of adolescents' unsafe discotheque-visiting behavior. We invited 1687 adolescents (12-19 years old) at Dutch secondary schools to complete questionnaires about music-listening behaviors, sociodemographic characteristics and psychosocial determinants of behavior.

Music venues and hearing loss: Opportunities for and barriers to improving environmental conditions.

This study explores the opportunities for and barriers to improving environmental conditions in order to reduce the risk for music-induced hearing loss in people who attend music venues. Individual semi-structured interviews were held with 20 representatives of music venues and of governmental organizations, according to a semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and systematically coded using a content-analysis technique.

Adolescents and MP3 players: too many risks, too few precautions.

Objective: The goal was to assess risky and protective listening behaviors of adolescent users of MP3 players and the association of these behaviors with demographic characteristics and frequency of use.

Methods: In 2007, 1687 adolescents (12-19 years of age) in 68 classes in 15 Dutch secondary schools were invited to complete questionnaires about their music-listening behaviors.

Results: .