Early Detection of Childhood Disorders can Reduce Infant Mortality

Many babies born in different part of the world still dies of diseases that could be prevented due to insufficient screening facilities. 

 

Experts however claimed that this trend may persist until the government of each country provides screening centres for babies in each country.

In Nigeria this ugly trend has been in vogue for ages with the government unable to figure out the real solution capable of handling such ugly disorder.

Few years back, In Nigeria, a boy called Segun Olowolayemo has a crucial problem that has been like a shadow behind him since he was six years old.

This problem has deprived him of his childhood and has also robbed him of the freedom of adulthood. 

He has been living with his parents all his life and he dare not think of doing anything negative.

Although Segun is 32 years old, he looks smallish and has the inability to speak clearly which when you or me see him will think he is just the kind of the last baby in your household.

 

He was diagnosed of hypothyroidism, a hormonal childhood disorder that completely damages the brain and causes 100% mental retardation in children.

He is shattered survivor of the disease but presently battling with a disease that had denied him of a good education, good association and good relationships.

According to experts, 90% of childhood diseases that could lead to abnormalities in growth, mental disabilities or deaths, including hypothyroidism, deafness, dumbness, autism and diabetes could be prevented by screening new born babies within the first weeks of their lives.

A scholar said that due to poor child health care delivery services, many children had died were presently going through agony from diseases that could have been corrected if detected at birth.

 

Another scholar says that more children are been born with childhood disorders due to growing population. 

He warned that delay in implementing initiatives to decrease deaths arising from these conditions could increase infant mortality in countries.

 

“Countries like Nigeria, Liberia, Kenya, Ethiopia and many more countries have an increase in population without a complementary increase in child care facilities. 

More women are given birth and yet a meaningful provision has not been made to curtail this.”

Hypothyroidism is now on the rise in children. Most European countries has all the new born babies screened when they are born. 

This process has been on the go since the 70’s. In Nigeria most inherited diseases detected at the first 6 months of a child’s life could be corrected normally. 

 

Deaf and dumb children can disappear from our society if new born screening is taken seriously.

A scholar also noted that transient diabetes which could lead to the death of a child within the first few days of being born, if captured at the screening centre, could be treated.

 

“Even diabetes could be picked from the first few days of a child’s life and corrected with a simple change in the diet of the child. 

If a baby born with diabetes is not screened, the caregivers and the parents are not aware, the child could die within the first two weeks,” he said.