Low birth weight children: At what time is heel blood drawn, newborn screening?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is expertly consulted by Master, Resident Doctor Dang Thi Ngoan - Pediatrician - Neonatologist - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Ha Long International Hospital. Uncle used to be a lecturer in the Department of Pediatrics - Hai Phong University of Medicine and Pharmacy, and was granted a certificate in Pediatrics at home and abroad such as: Westmead Hospital, Australia; Hai Phong Medical University and has strengths in the field of diagnosis and treatment of diseases in infants and young children, pediatric resuscitation - emergency.
Heel blood collection, newborn screening in the first 48 hours after birth will help detect birth defects early and prevent serious consequences of malformations for children.

1. Why is it necessary for children to take blood from their heels and screen for newborns?

World Health Organization WHO has estimated that every year around the world, about 8 million babies are born with birth defects. Scientists have studied and identified about 500 metabolic disorders related to endocrine and genetic problems that can be detected through screening tests within the first 48 hours after birth or between 2-7. postpartum day.
Postnatal screening test is absolutely safe for the baby's health, does not affect the child's development later. The test can help detect birth defects early, intervene and plan treatment in time, slow down the disease's development, maximize the treatment process, and reduce the severity and severity of the disease. treatment costs.

2. When is a low-birth-weight child's heel blood drawn?

For babies born with normal weight conditions, stable health will have heel blood drawn, newborn screening within the first 48 hours after birth. For children with low birth weight, the heel blood collection will be postponed until the child's health is determined. Your child will have a heel blood drawn before the 20th day.

3. How are newborn screening measures performed?

The process of taking blood for the heel is as follows: Each child will take 2 drops of blood from the heel and put it on absorbent paper. After the blood is dry, the blood sample will be taken to a testing center for analysis. Results will be available in 24-72 hours.
Through the postpartum screening test, parents will know if their baby has some birth defects. Although malformations detected through blood collection of the heel are very rare, they are very dangerous, greatly affecting the health and development of children, and can even cause death.

4. Pathologies that can be detected through newborn screening

4.1. G6PD enzyme deficiency
G6PD enzyme deficiency is an inherited disease that causes hemolytic anemia and prolonged neonatal jaundice. The cause is due to a lack of G6PD enzyme, which makes red blood cells vulnerable to damage, easily broken when encountering oxidizing agents absorbed by the body during eating, infusion or infection. Without early detection and proper care, children with G6PD deficiency can be severely affected such as: growth retardation, neurological diseases, cerebral palsy...
4.2. Congenital Hypothyroidism
Children with congenital hypothyroidism will not be able to produce thyroid hormone on their own, or if it does, only a very small amount. Thyroid hormone is a very important hormone for the development of the body and brain. If not detected and treated early, children will not be able to grow in height and become dull. In addition, the disease can cause children to have jaundice, thick tongue, big eyes, flat nose, puffy cheeks, umbilical hernia, growth retardation...
4.3. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia is an inherited condition that infants are at risk for. The disease is common in girls when the function of adrenal hormone production is disturbed. Children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia often have puberty earlier than normal, girls will have male genital development.
4.4. Congenital hemolysis
Congenital hemolysis is an inherited hemolytic anemia that can occur in both girls and boys. Manifestations of congenital hemolysis are anemia and iron overload in the body.
According to the World Health Organization, 7% of people in the world carry the Thalassemia gene, 1.1% of couples are at risk of having a child with the disease or carrying the Thalassemia gene. In which, Vietnam has up to 12 million people carrying the Thalassemia gene. According to statistics, in Vietnam each year, more than 8,000 children are born with the disease, and more than 2,000 children have serious illnesses that require lifelong treatment.
4.5. Congenital hearing loss
As mentioned above, congenital hearing loss can affect a child's hearing, cognitive ability, and pronunciation. This condition occurs because the hearing organs are damaged during pregnancy. Newborn screening can help detect cases early. Timely intervention will help children a lot.
Newborn screening with blood tests is included in the Maternity Packages. Customers who register for Maternity Package at Vinmec will be fully tested, prenatal care - during and after birth for both mother and baby. In addition, the hospital still provides Newborn Screening service for customers who do not register for Maternity Package at Vinmec but have a need. For details of maternity packages at Vinmec, you can contact HERE.
As a key area of ​​Vinmec Health system, Pediatrics Department always brings satisfaction to customers and is highly appreciated by industry experts with:
Gathering a team of top doctors and nurses in Pediatrics : consists of leading experts with high professional qualifications (professors, associate professors, doctorates, masters), experienced, worked at major hospitals such as Bach Mai, 108.. Doctors All doctors are well-trained, professional, conscientious and knowledgeable about young psychology. In addition to domestic pediatric specialists, the Department of Pediatrics also has the participation of foreign experts (Japan, Singapore, Australia, USA) who are always pioneers in applying the latest and most effective treatment regimens. . Comprehensive services: In the field of Pediatrics, Vinmec provides a series of continuous medical examination and treatment services from Newborn to Pediatric and Vaccine,... according to international standards to help parents take care of their baby's health from birth to childhood. from birth to adulthood Specialized techniques: Vinmec has successfully deployed many specialized techniques to make the treatment of difficult diseases in Pediatrics more effective: neurosurgery - skull surgery, stem cell transplantation. blood in cancer treatment. Professional care: In addition to understanding children's psychology, Vinmec also pays special attention to the children's play space, helping them to have fun and get used to the hospital's environment, cooperate in treatment, improve the efficiency of medical treatment.

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