SINCE the mandatory newborn screening was introduced 10 years ago, not too many mothers have availed themselves of the service, the Department of Health (DOH) 7 said.
Ruff Vincent Valdevieso, DOH 7 Newborn Screening nurse coordinator, said only 66 percent of the total number of infants born in the region were screened.
Valdevieso emphasized the importance of the newborn screening as it allows doctors to detect early signs of mental and metabolic disorders among infants.
“We should not wait for the symptoms. The newborn should be screened within 24 hours after birth,” he said during the AGIO (Association of Government Information Officers) 7 forum last Tuesday.
One disorder that can be detected through the screening is the Glucose 6 Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, also known as “favism.”
It is a condition where the body lacks the enzyme called G6PD in the blood.
Babies with this deficiency may have hemolytic anemia due to exposure to oxidative substances found in drugs, food and chemicals.
Since the newborn screening was introduced in 2006, Valdevieso said the number of infants suffering from G6PD deficiency in Central Visayas reached 17,284.
Of that number, only 4,024 infants underwent confirmatory testing.
Other disorders that can be detected through the screening are congenital hypothyroidism, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, galactosemia, phenylketonuria and maple syrup urine disease.
Death
If not treated, Valdevieso said the disorders can lead to lifelong medication or death.
He said they have not yet reached their 100 percent target because of the parents’ refusal to let their infants undergo newborn screening.
Republic Act 9288 or the Newborn Screening Act requires the screening for infants.
According to Valdevieso, some mothers, especially those living under the poverty line, don’t avail themselves of the test because it’s too expensive.
The test costs P500 to P1,500, depending on the number of disorders that have to be detected.
Valdevieso also said the practice of home deliveries is another reason some infants have not been screened.
He, however, said the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) is making sure that every infant can undergo screening within 24 hours after birth. Infants born in Philhealth-accredited facilities can immediately be tested.
Through Philhealth’s Point-of-Care Enrollment program, indigent mothers who are not Philhealth members can also easily avail themselves of the screening services.
Valdevieso urged birthing facilities to get accreditation from Philhealth so their clients can undergo newborn screening.