Is your newborn screened?
Posted on: 06/Aug/2016 12:59:56 PM
At any point of time, have you ever wondered if your baby is born with any abnormality? Newborn screening tests come handy to easily identify such diseases in babies right during their early stages.
Many parents fail to do this in spite of continual insisting by doctors who try to educate about the need for such screening of babies. As there are a number of such babies being born with various abnormalities, it is considered that creating such awareness is indispensable. There are three elements of newborn screening including hearing, physical examination such as femoral pulses, red reflexes, hips and heart sounds, and blood spot testing. Such screening will indicate presence of any disease even before clinical signs start appearing, thus helping with early diagnosis. This will be of great help in treating such ailments well before any permanent damage occurs, said Gopinath Rao, Neonatal Pediatrician from Motherhood hospital.
By diagnosing early parents can avoid burning hole in their pockets which may happen when the child shows signs of disease or organ damage if not done. There is no recommendation for these screening tests made so far from the end of government. Private hospitals are avid about screening tests done on babies and hence government will also follow the same too, say health officials.
In India, there are about 25 million births each and every year. Out of these, one in every 3000 babies are born with metabolic disorders which means just 8000 babies are born normal in India.
Timely screening is very important. In just 24 hours of baby’s birth, physical examination screening and hearing need to be done. In 72 hours of birth, blood spot testing should be done. It is important to do these testing on timely basis. It should not be done too early or too late, said Pediatric Hepatologist.
A mother of seven months old baby said she took part in a program conducted for expecting parents where she learnt the need for screening. Till then, she never had any idea of anything of this kind. Creating awareness in this regard is important, she added.
