Sri Vijaya Puram, Nov. 13: A one-day training on comprehensive new born birth defects under RBSK was organized for Medical Officers’/ Nursing Officers’ yesterday in the Conference Hall, Directorate of Health Services here. Inaugurating the programme as chief guest, Dr. Suja Antony (Director, Health Services), urged all the Medical Officers and Nursing Officers to screen all the new born to detect birth defects early so as to prevent severe complication, reduce long term disability and improve survival and quality of life.
Dr Pragathesh, HOD Paediatric (ANIIMS) and Dr Ritu Singh, Professor, Paediatric (ANIIMS) graced the occasion as the guests of honour. The training aimed to identify physical malformations such as cleft lip or palate, chromosomal abnormalities such as Down syndrome, functional defects including sensory deficits such as congenital deafness and congenital cataract, metabolic defects including inborn error of metabolism or Haemoglobinopathies, neurodevelopmental disorders, and complications related to prematurity. Altogether 23 participants from various health institutions were trained.