Health
20:47, 15-Oct-2017
Norwegian newborns screened for immunodeficiency diseases
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Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten reported Saturday that Norway will be the first European country to screen all newborns for immunodeficiency diseases.
The new government regulation adds immune deficiency diseases into the screening of all newborns in the country. Due to necessary preparations, the new law will come into effect on Jan. 1, 2018.
Norwegian regional health authorities are obliged to offer screening of all newborns.
"By screening we can not only discover, but the fantastic thing is that we can also provide a treatment that will make the child healthy. The alternative is serious illness and early death," said Bent Hoie, Norway's health minister.
Immune deficiency diseases can lead to serious health damage or death during the first year of life, but if they are discovered early and the treatment starts quickly, the child can get healthy, Aftenposten wrote.
"This is amazing news," said Asbjorg Stray-Pedersen, the leader of the trial project at the department of Newborn Screening at Oslo University Hospital.
"There are several pilot projects in many European countries, but we will be the first to start this from January 1. And our way of doing this gives very few false positive answers to the samples," he said.
Source(s): Xinhua News Agency