[Evolution of the screening program for congenital hypothyroidism and phenylketonuria in the Sergipe State from 1995 to 2003].

An evaluation was made of the timing delays in the various phases of the Screening Program for Congenital Hypothyroidism (HC) and Phenylketonuria (PKU), the coverage and incidence in the State of Sergipe from 1998 to 2003. The results were compared to the data from 1995. The age of the children in the sampling was 12 +/- 11 days (mean +/- standard deviation) lower than the 30 +/- 19 days in the second semester of 1995. In the second half of 2003, the results were analyzed by the physician after 28 +/- 15 days for HC and 25 +/- 15 days for PKU, lower than 80 +/- 40 days for the second semester of 1995. The period between the receipt of the samples at the laboratory and the assay in the second half of 2003 was 6 +/- 4 days for TSH and 3 +/- 2 days for phenylalanine. The coverage in 2003 for the interior of the State and the Capital was 67% and 85%, compared with 5% and 42% in the second semester of 1995, respectively. The incidence from 1998 to 2003 in the Public Health Service of Sergipe for HC was 1/4928 and 1/23406 for PKU. From 1998 to 2003 the therapy was initiated after 49 +/- 17 days and 51 +/- 12 days for HC and PKU, respectively. The reduction in the program timing delays and the increase in the coverage indicate development in the referred program.