Significance of Newborn Screening for Your Little One!
New Born Screening offers unmatched benefits where multiple health conditions are screened in a single test. It not only ensures that your baby is safe from all the disorders. But at the same time saves you from the life struggle. Newborn screening can help identify newborns with potentially life-altering disorders. Early diagnosis and treatment prevent the baby from developing lifelong complications.
In India, every day 30 newborns are born with different neonatal disorders. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 140 million children are born every year. Out of which 5 million children die in the first month of life in developing countries. And 4 million children are born with some genetic abnormality. Newborn Screening is recognized by the WHO as one of the most effective health initiatives of the 21st century.
Importance of Newborn Screening
- Baby might look normal and healthy at the time of birth but this might not be the case. They usually start showing symptoms after a few weeks of birth. Newborn Screening helps diagnose these babies so as to start treatment as early as possible.
- Baby might have a condition even if there is no family history.
- Newborn screening can identify these conditions before they become apparent or prove fatal, thereby helping both parents and children lead a normal life.
- Newborn screening is mostly only a one-time cost that provides clarity and peace of mind to parents. Lack of immediate treatment and management can lead to expensive hospital stays, further medical tests, and also intensive care.
- Even if the result comes positive for any of the conditions, there are various kinds of treatments that help children cope with the disorders and lead normal lives. For conditions such as phenylketonuria (PKU) in which babies are unable to process phenylketonuria. A simple change in the diet of babies can make a lot of difference. Since phenylketonuria is found mostly in certain sweeteners, protein-rich foods. The buildup of it can affect brain functioning and also cause irreversible brain damage. Babies with PKU are usually put on a special diet at the earliest.
- Medicines are needed for other conditions such as hypothyroidism. Where babies are unable to produce enough thyroid hormone in their bodies which if untreated can slow down growth drastically.
- Screening also makes sure that babies with critical conditions are quickly identified and treated. [1].
Your baby might develop a health complication or disorder even if there is no family history. Genes2Me helps in early intervention for certain types of genetic disorders in babies. Early detection of these life-threatening disorders blesses your child with good health and above all, a safe and secure childhood!
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