Neonatal screening is a comprehensive examination of newborns to identify hereditary and congenital rare diseases.
The Regional Neonatal Screening Centre at the Lviv Regional Clinical Perinatal Centre has been operating since 17 October 2022. During this time, more than 65 thousand newborns have been examined here and about 2 million tests have been performed.
“It is thanks to neonatal screening that an illness can be detected at an early stage, the condition can be cured and proper follow-up, intervention and support can be provided. Despite the war, the neonatal screening programme is dynamically developing and becoming more accessible. Such genetic screening for all newborns is free of charge and is carried out with the consent of the parents,” said Natalia Litvinska, Director of the Health Department of the Lviv Regional State Administration.
Neonatal screening is a comprehensive examination of newborns to identify hereditary and congenital rare diseases. Blood samples are taken from newborns in the first days of life and sent to the laboratory centre for testing. Here, they are screened for 21 diseases.
According to Maria Malachynska, director of the Lviv Oblast Perinatal Centre, 149 cases of positive results have been detected since the centre opened. In particular, 13 cases of spinal muscular atrophy, 13 cases of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) and X-linked agammaglobulinemia, 66 cases of metabolic diseases, 20 cases of adrenogenital syndrome, 14 cases of cystic fibrosis, 11 cases of congenital hypothyroidism, 10 cases of galactosemia, and 2 cases of biotinidase deficiency.