According to data from the National Neonatal Screening Program (PNRN), coordinated by the Dr. Ricardo Jorge National Institute of Health (INSA), January (7,670) was the month in which the most newborns were screened in the first half of this year.

Last year, 84,631 babies were screened in Portugal, 1,133 fewer than the previous year (85,764).

In the first six months of this year, Lisbon was the district with the most tests performed (13,007), followed by Porto (7,432), Setúbal (3,329), Braga (3,175), and Faro (2,174).

The lowest number of tests was observed in the district of Bragança (260), followed by Portalegre (278) and Guarda (326).

In the last 10 years, 2016 was the year with the most heel prick tests performed, with 87,577.

Coordinated by INSA, through its Neonatal Screening, Metabolism, and Genetics Unit, of the Department of Human Genetics, the PNRN has been screening for 28 pathologies since 1979: congenital hypothyroidism, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, spinal muscular atrophy, and 24 hereditary metabolic diseases.

Although not mandatory, the program currently has a 99.5% coverage rate, with the average time to start treatment being about 10 days.

The "heel prick test" is performed starting on the third day of a newborn's life, by collecting a few drops of blood from the child's heel.