A drop of heel blood can save the lives of the nation's children. As soon as we detect the disease, the baby can be treated immediately...Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Health Ministry has made congenital hypothyroidism screening (SHK) of newborns mandatory so that the thyroid hormone deficiency that can trigger metabolic disorders can be detected early.
"Starting today, all babies born in Indonesia must be examined by SHK to detect the risk of abnormalities in the child's growth and development," Deputy Minister of Health, Dante Saksono Harbuwono, said in a written statement on Thursday.
The policy was marked by the relaunch of the SHK program for newborns at Batujajar Health Center, West Bandung district, West Java, on August 31, 2022.
Harbuwono said that the policy is a part of efforts to transform primary care, which emphasize preventive and promotive measures considering that most patients with congenital hypothyroidism (HK) do not show symptoms.
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"Parents do not realize it because the new symptoms usually appear when the children get older," he noted.
The screening involves taking two-three drops of blood from the heel of a baby aged at least 48 to 72 hours and a maximum of two weeks and examining the blood sample in a laboratory. It is being conducted by health workers at maternal and child healthcare facilities as part of essential neonatal services.
If the result of the screening is positive, the baby will need to be treated immediately before it turns one month old to prevent disability, growth and development disorders, and mental and cognitive disabilities.
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“A drop of heel blood can save the lives of the nation's children. As soon as we detect the disease, the baby can be treated immediately. The treatment can last a lifetime so they can grow and develop optimally,” Harbuwono informed.
As part of the national declaration on the screening, he also held a virtual interactive dialogue with health workers from several provinces.
He called for the intensification of HK examinations to reduce its potential in the future.
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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Resinta S
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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