Resumo

GARCIA, Mariana G; FERREIRA, Eleonora A P  e  OLIVEIRA, Fabiana P S de. Parents' understanding about newborn screening. Rev. bras. crescimento desenvolv. hum. [online]. 2007, vol.17, n.1, pp. 1-12. ISSN 0104-1282.

Newborn screening, known mainly as PKU and CH screening or Guthrie test, is a public health strategy which aims at the prevention of mental sequels provoked by congenital hypothyroidism and phenylketonuria. These diseases do not usually cause symptoms during the first months of the child's life. However, if they are diagnosed precociously, there is a high probability that the treatment prevents its serious consequences. The test is performed in infants during their first 30 days of life, and their primary caregivers play a crucial role so that prevention occurs. The objective of this work was to study the characteristics of the people being assisted by a service of excellence in Newborn Screening located in the city of Belém, state of Pará, and to evaluate the understanding of parents and/or caregivers about the importance of the Guthrie Test. A questionnaire was applied to 200 participants, who had previously agreed to answer an interview script, and it was verified whether they returned to check the result of the test. The results indicated that most of the participants were not aware of the importance of the test as a resource to promote prevention in child's health.

Palavras-chave : Guthrie test; Newborn screening; Pediatric psychology; Prevention.

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