{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]],"date-time":"2026-10-06T06:20:53Z","timestamp":1791267653030,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,4]],"date-time":"2024-12-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1733270400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJNS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Newborn screening (NBS) represents an important public health measure for the early detection of specified disorders; such screening can prevent disability and death, not only from metabolic disorders but also from endocrine, hematologic, immune, and cardiac disorders. Screening for critical congenital conditions affecting newborns\u2019 health is a great challenge, especially in developing countries such as Morocco, where NBS program infrastructure is lacking. In addition, the consanguinity rate is high in Morocco. This study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of integrating NBS into a diagnostic laboratory for routine analysis. Six primary severe conditions were included: congenital hypothyroidism (CH), cystic fibrosis (CF), phenylketonuria (PKU), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PD), congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), and hemoglobinopathies. Methods: A retrospective investigation was carried out to examine the outcomes of NBS in Casablanca, Morocco. A total of 5511 newborn blood samples were collected via heel-prick sampling and tested for the above disorders. Most of the samples were collected within the third and sixth days of birth. The dried blood spots were analyzed via a quantitative immunofluorescence technique and isoelectric focusing. Results: A total of 72 newborns had one of the six pathological conditions. The most prevalent disorders were hemoglobinopathies, which were identified in 47 newborns (0.9%), with 29 having HbC carrier status (0.5%), 15 having Hb S carrier status (0.3%), and 3 having an Hb Bart\u2019s carrier profile (0.05%). This was followed by G6PD deficiency, which was found to affect 16 newborns (0.32% of cases). CF was found in one case (0.02%), whereas five newborns (0.09%) tested positive for CAH. Additionally, two newborns (0.04%) tested positive for CH, and one newborn tested positive for PKU (0.02%). Conclusion: Our findings underscore the importance and success of NBS programs in preventing morbidity and mortality and improving the quality of life of affected neonates. The significant gap in data and research on these disorders within the Moroccan population highlights the urgent need to integrate NBS into routine practice in diagnostic laboratories across Morocco. This integration is crucial for enhancing the health and well-being of Moroccan newborns.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijns10040080","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,4]],"date-time":"2024-12-04T10:07:10Z","timestamp":1733306830000},"page":"80","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Newborn Screening for Six Primary Conditions in a Clinical Setting in Morocco"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"given":"Sara","family":"El Janahi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Genomic, Epigenetics, Precision and Predictive Medicine, School of Medicine, Mohammed VI University of Sciences and Health, Casablanca 82403, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mounir","family":"Filali","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"G Lab Laboratory, Casablanca 20360, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zakia","family":"Boudar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Genomic, Epigenetics, Precision and Predictive Medicine, School of Medicine, Mohammed VI University of Sciences and Health, Casablanca 82403, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Amina","family":"Akhattab","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Genomic, Epigenetics, Precision and Predictive Medicine, School of Medicine, Mohammed VI University of Sciences and Health, Casablanca 82403, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rachid","family":"El Jaoudi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine & Pharmacy, University Mohammed V, Rabat 6203, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6872-7060","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Najib","family":"Al Idrissi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Genomic, Epigenetics, Precision and Predictive Medicine, School of Medicine, Mohammed VI University of Sciences and Health, Casablanca 82403, Morocco"},{"name":"Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Mohammed VI University of Sciences and Health, Casablanca 82403, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nouzha","family":"Dini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatric Department, Sheikh Khalifa Ibn Zayed International University Hospital, Mohammed VI University of Sciences and Health, Casablanca 82403, Morocco"},{"name":"Lab of Immunology, Infectious Disease and Tropical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Mohammed VI University of Sciences and Health, Casablanca 82403, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chakib","family":"Nejjari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Euromed Research Center, Euromed University of Fes, Fez 51, Morocco"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Dentistry, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez 1893, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6789-1563","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Raquel","family":"Yahyaoui","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Newborn Screening Laboratory. Hospital Regional Universitario de M\u00e1laga, IBIMA-Plataforma BIONAND, 29011 Malaga, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5813-7064","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Michele A.","family":"Lloyd-Puryear","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Retired, Senior Scientific Advisor, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, ML 20814, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0638-2180","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hassan","family":"Ghazal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Genomic, Epigenetics, Precision and Predictive Medicine, School of Medicine, Mohammed VI University of Sciences and Health, Casablanca 82403, Morocco"},{"name":"Department of Sports Sciences, Royal Institute for Managerial Training in Youth and Sport, Sale 10102, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Abhyankar, S., Lloyd-Puryear, M.A., Goodwin, R., Eichwald, J., Therrell, B.L., Zuckerman, A., Downing, G., and McDonald, C.J. 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