According to a source, over 2.1% of India’s population is disabled. Many of them are born with disabilities. Newborn screening performed right after the birth of a baby helps detect such problems and various other health conditions early. These conditions often obstruct the normal development of a baby. Detecting them early makes sure that they can be treated soon to prevent any intellectual or physical disabilities or even life-threatening conditions.

What to Expect in Newborn Screening?

This test can be carried out at a children’s hospital to detect specific treatable metabolic disorders. These conditions are a result of the accumulation of chemicals in unusually high levels in a baby’s body. Such diseases are present in the neonate’s body since birth, and therefore called inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs).

This test is generally performed when your newborn is 24-72 hours old. The only internationally accepted way to do it is using the Dried Blood Spot. First, a small prick is made on the baby’s heel to collect some drops of blood. Then these drops are put on a special kind of filter paper and it is allowed to dry. Soon the paper is sent to a newborn screening lab in which various tests are performed to screen for any disorders.

Why is the Screening Performed So Early?

Inborn errors of metabolism cannot be detected before birth. The screening is performed early to detect these disorders as soon as possible after the baby is born to initiate treatment quickly. If symptoms of these disorders start to show, it may be too late to treat them or save the child. Currently, the only option to detect the presence of an IEM before the appearance of symptoms is by newborn screening.

What Kinds of Tests are Performed?

A reputed children’s hospital in India screens for more than 44 serious disorders (including rare ones) in a newborn. For instance, the following conditions can be detected:

• Hearing loss: It may be partial or absolute inability to hear and may occur in one or both ears.
• Congenital hypothyroidism: It’s characterised by a neonate being born with too little thyroid hormone. If not treated early, this condition can result in poor growth and mental developmental problems.
• Congenital adrenal hyperplasia: Neonates born with this condition cannot produce the hormone cortisol adequately. This hormone helps control blood pressure, sugar levels and energy, and the body’s response to the stress of any illness or injury. This condition may even affect the hormones of puberty and the development of the genitals.

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More than 4,00,000 babies born in India are affected by IEMs. Several of them could have had a healthy life if these diseases were screened and treated early. To ensure a healthy life for your baby, search in advance for a good children’s hospital with a newborn screening laboratory when you become pregnant. Consider visiting that hospital for your delivery. After your baby is born, take another step towards his/her good health. Ensure he/she receives all the necessary vaccines as per the vaccination schedule to strengthen immunity power to fight infections.