Introduction

Newborn Screening (NBS) is mandated in the United States with every baby born being screened for a variety of disorders. Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brazil and The Philippines also screen newborns. Economic analysis indicate that the cost of screening all babies born, resulting in early detection and treatment from the first week of birth, far outweighs the cost of detecting and treating these disorders at a later stage.

In India, NBS is in its infancy. At present, only high risk babies are screened and only for a few disorders. This is due to a lack of awareness and the high costs associated with it. One of the biggest advances in NBS was the use of Tandem Mass Spectrometry, pioneered by Pediatrix Screening, which detects for over 42 IEMs with a single test based on a dried blood spot. This technology has significantly brought down the costs of NBS. NeoGen Lab’s First Step Newborn Screening Test utilizes this technology and, as a result, has made Newborn Screening affordable to parents in India.

Early detection of disorders detectable through First Step is vital. Although the test detects disorders that cannot be cured, early intervention and treatment is beneficial in most cases.

Prevention

Affected babies are at risk of mental retardation, physical disabilities and even death, if they are not diagnosed and treated early. First Step gives parents the opportunity to protect their baby from the preventable complications of undiagnosed problems. If your baby is affected, NBS can play a key role in allowing your child to live a normal life.

Children who are born with these disorders and go unscreened sometimes spend several months, even years, suffering through numerous medical tests to find out what is wrong with them. Some even have extensive hospital stays in intensive care because no one knows what is wrong with them and thus aren’t treating them properly. This is because a clinical diagnosis is difficult if these children aren’t properly screened.

Peace of Mind

And, if your child’s test is normal, First Step can give you peace of mind.