11:33 PM
Mommy Edna Reyes
If you are pregnant, the first thing that concerns you is your baby’s well-being. To save your baby from mental retardation or death, you must submit your baby to Newborn screening or NBS. This is a must for babies after they were born. Here are some important details about newborn screening (NBS) and how it can save your baby’s life.
Newborn Screening is a simple procedure done to check if your baby has congenital metabolic disorder that may lead to retardation or death if left untreated. It is important because some babies may look normal at birth although they may have metabolic disorders. These disorders are unnoticed until the onset of signs and symptoms and more often ill effects are already hard to treat. Newborn screening will determine whether your baby may have these congenital disorders thus avoiding retardation or death. As early as 24 hrs or 48 hrs after birth is the best time for your baby to have NBS. A physician, a nurse, a midwife or a medical technologist can do the simple NBS procedure to your baby. It is simply done by using the heel prick method; a few drops of blood are taken from baby’s heel and blotted on a special absorbent filter card. The blood taken is dried for 4 hrs and will be sent to NBS lab.
The Newborn screening is now available in any D.O.H accredited hospitals and maternity and pediatrics clinics. The fee is P550. It is also available in lying-ins, rural Health units and health centers and D.O.H. however had approved a maximum of P50 charge for blood samples for these accredited health institutions.
Saving your baby’s life, assuring a normal life for them is our role as parents. Submitting your baby to newborn screening is one way of showing your love and concern even before your baby is born.
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