RN performs newborn screening to prevent sickle cell anemia in newborns

The Ministry of Public Health (Sesap) of Rio Grande do Norte begins next week, the second phase of the National Newborn Screening - PNTN (Guthrie test). The goal is to make screening for sickle cell anemia in newborns.

The result will be provided by the Central Laboratory of the state (Lacen), and will be designed to help families provide for the diagnosis of some congenital diseases or infectious. These evils have no symptoms in the neonatal period and appear only at the stage of child development, when there is no more chance of cure, can leave serious sequelae.

To have access to newborn screening, parents just approaching any collection station or to a laboratory chosen by the pediatrician within the appropriate deadline. The Assistant Head of Group Health of Children and Adolescents in Sesap, Glycia Kalliani, explains that the time for collection must not be less than 48 hours of nursing and never exceeding 30 days, ideally between the third and seventh days life. Through the Reference Service or Neonatal own Municipal Health Department, you can get the address of the collection units.

Every child has the right to Brazilian newborn screening and all states have reference service and collection points in their municipalities. "The screening test has the function to perform a screening. An abnormal result does not imply a definitive diagnosis of any disease, requiring confirmatory tests," he added Glycia.

In infants, the heel prick test provides the diagnosis of four diseases: congenital hypothyroidism, phenylketonuria, cystic fibrosis and hemoglobinopathies.

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