DOHA: Qatar is set to conduct Neonatal Screening Programmes here at a newly equipped state-of-the-art laboratory at Hamad Medical Corporation, from November 1.
More than 76,000 babies have been screened for endocrine and metabolism disorders, ever since the launch of the programme in December 2003, in collaboration with the University of Heidelberg.
“So far, we have found at least 148 cases of disorders,” said Professor George Hoffman from Heidelberg University Children’s Hospital’s Paediatric Department. “An average of 30 to 40 children is born in Qatar every day and all of them undergo the neonatal screening which helps in detecting diseases at an early age and effectively treating them. We offer screening for 32 disorders for all babies born in the country.”
The new advanced laboratory ‘Metabolic and Endocrinology Lab’ under the General Laboratory, HMC will start with hormonal screening now. Later this year, the tests will be extended into the metabolic screening.
“This is the first step into transferring the screening tests to Doha. Earlier all the samples were sent to Germany, and with this, the endocrinology and hormonal part of the screening will be done here. We have the equipments for doing the metabolic tests also, but we lack the data processing software,” Dr Hilal Rifai, Director of the screening programme told The Peninsula.
Screening for Homocystinuria, a protein metabolism disorder which can lead to brain damage and eventually mental retardation, was developed as part of the Qatari project and is unique to the national programme. HMC hopes to have this test also done here by the end of the year.
Qatar is one of the four countries in the world and the only non-Western country to have a Neonatal Screening Programme.
“People from the neigbouring countries are now coming to HMC for delivery due to the unique screening programme offered. We also have children, who are now four or five years old, detected to have the various disorders at birth living a health life because of the early detection,” said Dr Tawfeg Ben Omran, Head of Clinical and Metabolic Genetic Department, HMC.
By Huda NV
© The Peninsula 2009
