The Department of Health (DOH) calls on parents and caregivers to have their children undergo expanded newborn screening (ENBS) to ensure early detection of disorders that can lead to mental retardation and death.
DOH Central Luzon Center for Health Development Regional NBS Program Manager Jean Canlas said through the ENBS, healthcare providers will be able to screen for more than 29 congenital and heritable disorders among newborns.
“With ENBS, these conditions can be detected even before the onset of symptoms. It is important to immediately detect them because by the time the symptoms manifest, it may already be irreversible. If these conditions are managed on time, we may prevent complications and be able to give immediate treatment to the affected infants,” she explained.
Among the different diseases that can be seen in newborn screening include endocrine disorders, amino acid disorders, organic acid disorders, urea cycle defects, fatty acid oxidation disorders, and hemoglobinopathies.
NBS is done ideally immediately after 24 hours from birth using the heel prick method to collect a few drops of blood for sample collection and placed on the filter card which is sent for laboratory testing for initial screening of disorders.
The screening costs P1,800, but is free for all PhilHealth members under its newborn care package. It can be done in hospitals, birthing facilities, lying-in clinics, as well laboratories accredited by the National Institutes of Health.
Nationwide, there are a total of 7,000 newborn screening facilities; 800 of which are in Central Luzon.
Canlas added that there are also three NBS Continuity Clinics in the region that cater to long-term patients with screened or confirmed congenital disorders.
“These are ambulatory clinics based in tertiary hospitals, and identified by the DOH to be part of the National Comprehensive Newborn Screening System (NCNBSS) Treatment Network. These are equipped to facilitate continuity of care of confirmed patients in their area of coverage. These include Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital that caters to patients from Pampanga, Bataan, and Zambales; Dr. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center for patients from Aurora, Nueva Ecija, and Tarlac; and the Bulacan Medical Center for patients from the said province,” she said.
Meanwhile, DOH is implementing various programs to increase awareness on NBS including capacity building and advocacy activities, and collaboration with other stakeholders for strengthened implementation of the program.
The agency also coordinates with NBS facilities and local government units for health services such as recall of newborns needing repeat or confirmatory testing, medical assistance for laboratory tests or medical foods/supplements for indigent patients, and transportation assistance to patients for medical consultation.
In 2023, Central Luzon surpassed the national target of 95 percent for NBS with a 107.45 percent accomplishment or 183,453 newborns screened.
From January to August 2024, the region tallied a 59.11 percent accomplishment or 100,923 newborns screened.
Nationwide, the most common disorder detected through NBS is the G6PD deficiency wherein the body is missing or does not have enough of an enzyme called G6PD (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase).
In Central Luzon, the maple syrup urine disease is a common disorder among screened infants. This is a rare metabolic disorder caused by a defect in the enzymes that break down some amino acids. (CLJD/MJSC-PIA Region 3, Pampanga)