How technology is saving babies at risk

Marrying blood relatives, is one of the common cultural practices in India that endangers the health and lives of many newborns, every year.

A recent study published in the Karnataka Paediatric Journal shows that such infants are at a higher risk of developing certain metabolic disorders leading to intellectual disability, developmental delay, and other behavioural abnormalities, medically known as inborn errors of metabolism (IEM).

Early screening of these babies can prevent serious and life threatening consequences by timely intervention. Around 27 million babies are born in India, every year. Out of this nearly 1 in 2497 babies are born with IEM.

But how do you know which baby needs treatment, as newborns can only cry. Victor2™D, a patented device, when used with an appropriate IVD assay can detect, measure, and quantify the presence or absence of enzymes in a baby’s body.

“It is (Victor2™D) as simple as doing any routine blood test,” said Mayank Kumar Srivastava, general manager, product and markets, India South Asia, PerkinElmer.

GALACTOSEMIA DISORDER

For instance, Galactosemia is a common enzyme deficiency disorder among newborns in India. The Indian Pediatrics Journal estimates that around 39,000 children are born, annually, with this disorder, causing significant morbidity and mortality in childhood.

A newborn with galactosemia disorder may appear normal at birth. Symptoms start to show up within a few days after they begin to drink breast milk. The baby first loses their appetite and starts vomiting. Then they get jaundice, a yellowing of the skin and the whites of their eyes. Diarrhoea is common, too. The disease leads to severe weight loss and the baby struggles to grow and thrive.

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