HA aims to expand newborn screening to all private hospitals

The Hospital Authority plans to extend its newborn screening programme to all private hospitals. At present, two private hospitals have joined the scheme. The authority expects more hospitals to come on board in the first half of this year.

Launched by the government in 2015, the newborn screening programme involves taking a small blood sample from a baby's heel one to three days after birth.

The test aims to detect certain treatable genetic or rare diseases that may not show obvious symptoms in the early stages. These include inherited metabolic disorders, spinal muscular atrophy and severe combined immunodeficiency with the goal of reducing the risk of delayed diagnosis or complications.

So far, around 100,000 babies born in public hospitals have been screened under the programme with nearly 50 infants diagnosed with these conditions.

The scheme has now been extended to two private hospitals -- Gleneagles Hospital HK and HK Sanatorium and Hospital -- where more than 700 newborns have received free screening. Babies with abnormal results can be referred to the Hong Kong Children's Hospital for follow-up care.