Benefits of Metabolic Screening

• Early detection allows early treatment which prevents

the child from becoming sick
• Able to screen for more than 25 metabolic-related
Newborn Metabolic
disorders Screening
At Thomson Medical Centre, newborn babies
routinely receive the following:

Injections Against

• Vitamin K • Vitamin K deficiency

bleeding

• BCG Vaccination • Tuberculosis

• First dose of the • Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B Vaccination

Test For

• Hearing Test • Hearing Ability

Your newborn will be screened for metabolic disorders

unless you choose to opt out.

Please consult your Paediatrician should you require

more information.

*Disclaimer: All information stated in the brochure is correct at time of printing and
subject to change without notice. Published on October 2019.

Thomson Medical Centre

339 Thomson Road
Singapore 307677

T +65 6250 2222

F +65 6253 4468
W thomsonmedical.com

You have just welcomed the arrival of your new bundle
of joy. As a parent, your baby’s health is of utmost
importance. To ensure your baby gets the best start in
life, other than the usual physical examination and health
checks, we also screen all newborns for metabolic
disorders as a routine.
Why Screen for Metabolic Disorders?
The screening test aims to detect more than 30 rare
metabolic related disorders in the following categories:
• Organic Acid Disorders
• Fatty Acid Oxidation Disorders
• Amino Acid Disorders
• Cystic Fibrosis
• Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
• Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (SCID)
• Galactosemia
• Biotinidase Deficiency
In Singapore, such metabolic disorders occur in about
1 out of 2,500-3,500 births.
Screening in the newborn period facilitates the early
detection and treatment of the metabolic disorders
before the onset of symptoms. Newborns with these
disorders typically appear well at birth.
If left unrecognised, these disorders may lead to poor
growth, learning difficulties, recurrent sicknesses and in
some cases death. By testing newborns during their first
days of life, such disorders can be treated early, often before
any sign or symptom surfaces.
Early diagnosis and treatment can lead to a good outcome.
Children with metabolic disorders are unable to successfully
break down (metabolise) some substances in food/milk such
as fats, protein or sugar, which can accumulate and become
toxic to the body. The metabolic screening test shows
whether your newborn is at high risk or low risk of such
disorders.
How is Metabolic Screening carried out?
A few drops of blood are collected from a heel prick any
time when the baby is between 2 days (after 24 hours) and
7 days of age. The best time for collection is between 2 and
3 days of age (more than 24 hours to 72 hours).
What do the results mean?
• Negative
This means your baby is at very low risk of having one of
these disorders. More than 99% of babies will have normal
results.
• Borderline
This means that it is not possible to tell whether a problem
exists. Hence, arrangement will be made for a second
sample to be taken. Borderline results occur in about 1
out of 100 newborns.
• Positive
This means that your baby has a chance of having a
metabolic disorder. Your baby will be referred to a metabolic
physician for further evaluation. Once a diagnosis is made,
your baby will be given the appropriate treatment. Positive
results occur in less than 1% of babies tested.