The first program in the UAE screens more than 4,000 newborns in 2011

Tawam screens 98% of eligible newborns in 2011; 1% diagnosed with congenital heart disease, 0.3- 0.5% diagnosed with critical congenital heart disease

Program applied non-invasive and cost-effective Pulse Oximetry method

Al Ain, 11, April, 2012:  Tawam Hospital, in affiliation with Johns Hopkins Medicine, today revealed data from its one-year 'Newborn Screening for Critical Congenital Heart Diseases' program. Implemented in accordance with the Health Authority-Abu Dhabi (HAAD) regulations, the program screened 98 per cent of eligible infants (4,473), born at Tawam Hospital in 2011, using the non-invasive and cost-effective Pulse Oximetry method.

The Pulse Oximetry method is applied by placing a sensor across the infants' feet 24 hours after their birth. It monitors the level of oxygen in a patient's blood and alerts the medical staff if oxygen levels drop below safe levels.

Tawam Hospital, the first to adopt this program in the UAE, revealed that between January 1st and December 31st 2011, one per cent of tested newborns were diagnosed with congenital heart disease (CHD) while 0.3-0.5 per cent of newborns were diagnosed with critical congenital heart disease (CCHD).

Dr. Mohamed Hamdan, Consultant and Head of Paediatric Cardiology at Tawam Hospital, stressed that CHD is the most common congenital anomaly, occurring in about one per cent of newborns. Dr Hamdan sadi:  "Nearly half of the babies with CHD have 'critical' lesions which require medical or surgical intervention in the first week after they are born. If these lesions are not detected early, there is a significant risk of death or bad neuro-developmental outcome.

"We have applied the Pulse Oximetry method because other current methods of detection, including fetal echocardiography (heart ultrasound for babies in the womb), can miss up to 50 per cent of cases, resulting in diagnosis being missed before newborns are discharged from hospital" he said.

"Our findings are comparable to internationally published data. In Abu Dhabi, where live births are around 25,000 per year, the cases of CCHD are estimated to be 50-75 per year, of which death can result in 100 per cent of cases if these heart defects are not detected and referred for treatment in the neonatal period. We encourage other facilities to adopt this program and our results provide justifications for a wider application of such program across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the UAE," Dr. Hamdan added.

In August 2011, the Health Authority-Abu Dhabi issued standards for Newborn Screening Requirements, including Pulse Oximetry, for all newborns in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.    Newborns admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit were excluded from the program, while those with arterial oxygen saturations (less than or equal to 95 per cent) were referred for prompt echocardiography, an ultrasound that detects any abnormality in the heart, before being released from the hospital. False negative results were tested by contacting the parents and asking specific questions about whether their babies were hospitalized within one month of discharge, as well as examining medical records across SEHA facilities. 

Tawam Hospital is part of the SEHA Health System and is owned and operated by SEHA, which is responsible for the curative activities of all the public hospitals and clinics in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. 

-Ends- 

About Tawam Hospital
Tawam Hospital in affiliation with John Hopkins Medicine is a premier, 467-bed tertiary care facility located in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, the largest of the United Arab Emirates. Tawam serves as a regional referral center for specialized medical care and a national referral center for oncology services. Though it offers services in all specialties, the hospital is best known for its neonatal care, emergency medicine, intensive care, oncology services and state-of-the-art cardiac care. Tawam Hospital is one of the first public hospital to receive JCI accreditation in the UAE.  Tawam Hospital is part of the SEHA HealthSystem owned and operated by Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) which is responsible for the curative activities of all the public hospitals and clinics of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

About Johns Hopkins Medicine International
Johns Hopkins Medicine International (JHI) facilitates the global development of the Johns Hopkins Medicine mission: to improve the health of the community and the world by setting the standard of excellence in medical education, research and clinical care.

As the international access point to thousands of Johns Hopkins experts in medicine, nursing, public health and health care administration, JHI coordinates treatment for out-of-town patients who travel to Baltimore and for local patients with limited English proficiency. It also provides services in hospital management, health care consulting and clinical education through strategic alliances and affiliations in the Middle East, Latin America, North America, Europe and Asia.

About the SEHA HealthSystem and the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company PJSC (SEHA)
SEHA is health in Arabic.The Abu Dhabi Health Services Company PJSC- whose marketing identity is SEHA - is an independent, public joint stock company created to develop the curative activities of the public healthcare system in Abu Dhabi. The company owns and operates all the public hospitals and clinics of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi which together make up the SEHA HealthSystem.  SEHA is committed to continuous improvement of customer care to recognized international standards and providing our customers and communities served world class healthcare.  SEHA has partnered with internationally recognized hospital managers to achieve these goals.  These include Johns Hopkins Medicine International, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, VAMED, Medical University of Vienna, and Fresenius Medical Care.  SEHA owns and operates 12 hospitals with 2,644 beds, 62 ambulatory care, family care and urgent care centers and 2 blood banks.  SEHA is one of the largest integrated healthcare providers in the Middle East with more than 17,000 doctors, nurses, ancillary care and administrative personnel in its employ.  Visit our website at www.seha.ae.  For further information, contact Salama Al Mazrouei, Manager, Corporate Marketing and Communications (A) at smazrouei@seha.ae.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Sumaya Al Harrasi
Marketing & Business Communications Manager
Tawam Hospital
Tel.: +971 3 7074646
Mobile: +971 553051305
Fax: +971 3 7074818
Email: sharrasi@tawamhospital.ae

Amal Hamad Al Darmaki
Public Relations Officer
Tawam Hospital
Tel.: +971 3 7074646
Fax: +971 3 7074818
Mobile: +971 058329733
Email: Amaldarmaki@tawamhospital.ae

© Press Release 2012