RESPONSE TO WORLD POPULATION DAY (July 11): Screening for early disease risk factors

In the list of some congenital diseases and defects screened, diagnosed, and treated before and after birth in the basic service package prescribed by the Ministry of Health, there are prenatal screening for 4 diseases (Thalassaemia, Down syndrome, Patau syndrome, Edwards syndrome) and newborn screening for 5 diseases (congenital hypothyroidism, G6PD deficiency, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, congenital hearing loss, congenital heart disease). Screening for disease risk factors early contributes to ensuring the birth of healthy generations of children, meeting the goal of improving the stature, physical condition, and quality of the population.

Lam Ha District Medical Center takes blood from the heel of a newborn baby to send for screening tests to detect the disease.

Time to perform prenatal screening tests: Ultrasound is best performed between the 11th and 14th week. If the fetal nuchal translucency is greater than 3 mm, continue to perform maternal blood biochemical tests; if there are signs of suspected disease, continue to perform chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis for definitive testing (performed at the 16th week).

Newborn screening time: All babies born between 36 and 48 hours need to have their heels blood drawn for screening tests to detect diseases. If the baby is premature, the blood will be drawn 7 days after birth. The blood drawing is done by hospital medical staff. After the blood is drawn, the blood sample is sent to Tu Du Hospital for testing to detect diseases. If the baby is sick, the hospital will notify the family of the results and instruct the family to take the baby for early treatment within the second week. Babies who are treated early will develop normally like other children.

Dr. Lai Thi Thanh Huong - Deputy Head of the Department of Reproductive Health Care - Obstetrics of Lam Ha District Medical Center said: On average, there are 100 births per month at the district hospital, the rate of newborn screening is about 65%. Newborn screening is free, helping babies to be born healthy, reducing the rate of genetic diseases. In addition, to improve the quality of the population, there should be more pre-marital testing, which will bring many benefits to the future of the race.

Ms. Bui Thi Minh - Head of Tan Ha Commune Health Station (Lam Ha) said: The station regularly organizes pregnancy check-ups and advises pregnant women on the benefits of prenatal and newborn screening. Every month, at the expanded vaccination sessions for pregnant mothers at the health station, population officers at the commune health station directly propagate and advise on the benefits of prenatal and newborn screening, the risks caused by congenital malformations, recommended cases that need screening tests and proactively participate in prenatal and newborn screening programs. The propaganda is concretized with specific examples, easy-to-understand language, and convincing images. Thereby, raising people's awareness of health, prenatal and newborn screening work contributes to minimizing the serious consequences of congenital malformations, and improving population quality. At the same time, pregnant mothers are advised to perform prenatal screening through regular prenatal check-ups at health stations and medical facilities; when giving birth, perform newborn screening for their children at local health centers. In addition, communication work is carried out in many forms: distributing leaflets, direct consultation at health stations, integrating meetings of the Women's Executive Committee, Youth Union, village meetings, groups... broadcast on the commune's loudspeaker system.

Ms. Pham Kim Lien (Tan Ha commune) is pregnant and about to give birth to her third child. She said: “I chose to have my pregnancy checked at the commune health station and at a private clinic. I have had it checked many times periodically. Each time I go to a private health facility, the cost of ultrasound, supplements, etc. is a few hundred thousand, but at the commune health station, the pregnancy check-up is free. In the near future, I will choose to give birth at the Provincial General Hospital.”

Tan Ha Commune Health Station is implementing free pregnancy check-ups according to the program of the District Health Center to ensure that all pregnant women in the area receive regular pregnancy check-ups, helping to effectively implement the prenatal screening program. In addition, the Commune Health Station has applied pregnancy management through the Zalo group, in which there are currently about 30 pregnant women who are updated with medical information and knowledge, instructions on monitoring pregnancy care, vaccination, pregnancy check-up schedule, etc., creating connections and positive interactions between commune health workers and pregnant mothers in the commune. The application of digital technology connects pregnant women with the commune health station, while raising awareness of pregnant women in regular pregnancy check-ups, disseminating knowledge and understanding of the benefits of pregnancy check-ups, performing basic tests, determining where to give birth, etc.

In 2024, Tan Ha Commune Health Station coordinated with the commune's departments and organizations to organize 14 conferences to deploy the health and population program plan, 2 thematic talks for couples of childbearing age; 119 pregnant women in the whole commune were counseled. In parallel with the above activities, the Commune Health Station coordinated with the Commune Youth Union and high schools to organize 2 communication conferences to provide information and knowledge to more than 500 adolescents and young people in the commune.

Dang Nhu Y, a youth union member of Tan Ha commune, said: Every year, the commune's Youth Union coordinates with organizations, unions, and health stations to raise awareness for 1,100 union members and young people of the commune on issues such as reducing early marriage and incestuous marriage, prenatal and newborn screening to reduce and eliminate early marriage in the area and prevent incestuous marriage among young people in the commune. Thereby, contributing to preventing birth defects in children due to the consequences of early marriage and incestuous marriage.

In the first 6 months of 2025, Tan Ha Commune Health Station has proactively and effectively disseminated the Party's guidelines, policies and laws of the State on the protection, care and improvement of people's health in the area. 42 pregnant women were counseled for prenatal screening, of which 3 cases were found to be at high risk of fetal malformations and a number of cases with congenital abnormalities... All cases were counseled, referred for treatment and timely treatment. The Commune Health Station has coordinated health education andpropaganda on the commune's radio system; regularly maintained many news and articles on the station's zalo and facebook pages, which were posted with the love and support of many people in the commune.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/xa-hoi/202506/huong-ung-ngay-dan-so-the-gioi-117-sang-loc-cac-yeu-to-nguy-co-benh-tat-som-c932f6a/