EMILY TSANGemily.tsang@scmp.com
PUBLISHED : Sunday, 04 October, 2015, 3:25am
UPDATED : Sunday, 04 October, 2015, 12:34pm
All newborns to get free blood tests for congenital diseases at two Hong Kong public hospitals
Babies delivered at two public hospitals over the next 18 months will be offered free blood tests to check for 24 congenital diseases, the health authorities say.
The pilot screenings will be available at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei and Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam from this month.
Some of the conditions to be tested affected about one in every 3,000 local infants and should be treated as soon as possible, Chinese University paediatric consultant Dr Li Chi-kwong said.
These conditions usually went unnoticed until the sufferer suddenly collapsed, developed serious symptoms or exhibited low intelligence, he said. If detected early, many of the conditions could be treated by medication or by altering the baby's eating habits.
"Participation in the pilot study is voluntary and free of charge," a spokesman for the Department of Health said.
"A multidisciplinary team consisting of chemical pathologists, obstetricians, paediatricians and clinical geneticists [has been] formed to follow up on babies with abnormal screening results and to provide timely management."
Presently, babies are tested only for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency and hypothyroidism, according to Li.
He believed the new screenings were necessary, having been provided in Singapore, Taiwan, many cities in the United States and some mainland cities for a number of years.
The scheme was announced in Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's policy address in January.
The health department spokesman did not reveal further details, but a medical source told the Sunday Morning Post earlier that the estimated cost of each neonatal test was about HK$200.
Chinese University has been charging HK$800 to check for inborn metabolism problems since 2013, covering some 30 congenital conditions. The test, which the government does not subsidise, is carried out within 48 hours of a child's birth and the results can be obtained within a few days.
A few drops of blood are collected from the child by pricking the baby's heel.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1863885/newborns-two-hong-kong-public-hospitals-get-free
