Acceptability of dried blood spot collection by primary caregivers of Filipino patients with maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) and phenylketonuria (PKU).

MSUD and PKU require lifetime management hence, regular monitoring of amino acid levels is needed to achieve good metabolic control. Ideally, plasma amino acid analysis (PLAA) is used to monitor concentrations but is expensive and not widely available in local laboratories. The newborn screening program in the Philippines uses dried blood spot (DBS) analysis as an alternative where only trained healthcare providers are allowed to perform the collection at selected facilities.