Newborn screening to reduce infant mortality

A private company, which has launched a screening service to detect genetic problems in newborns, is in talks with government agencies to make the screening a part of the national health programme to reduce infant mortality.

A private company, which has launched a screening service to detect genetic problems in newborns, is in talks with government agencies to make the screening a part of the national health programme to reduce infant mortality.

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LifeCell International, on Monday, announced the launch of BabyShield, a non-invasive newborn screening programme that can identify about 118 health conditions. Nearly 1.6 million children are born with congenital defects in India every year.

“We are in talks with the Indian Association of Paediatrics and the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR),” said Mayur Abhaya, president and executive director, LifeCell International.

“Congenital conditions are usually asymptomatic and need a very high level of clinical suspicion on the part of the doctor,” said Dr KP Sanghvi, president of National neonatology Forum, Mumbai.