A REPORT HAS recommended screening newborns in Ireland for a rare life-threatening inherited condition in order to allow earlier access to treatment, that could save lives. 

The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) said that the HSE should start testing for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) as part of the National Newborn Bloodspot Screening Programme, which is also known as the ‘heel prick’ test. 

Adding the screening for all types of SCID would cost €3.66 million over five years. 

The heel prick test is carried out within the first 72 to 120 hours of life and it currently screens for nine conditions. 

What HIQA is advising is that a check for SCID should be added to this screening process. 

SCID is a condition that results in a child having low levels of T-Cells. This then causes the child to have a low immune system, and that makes them vulnerable to infection. 

The condition can be identified through screening, family history, or the development of severe or recurrent infections. 

Early detection of SCID, HIQA has found, can lead to better outcomes for children, with reduced mortality rates and avoidance of harms. 

Screening for SCID would not only help children with the condition to access early treatment, it would also identify children who have very low levels of T-cells for other reasons. 

Dr Máirín Ryan, the Deputy CEO of HIQA, said: ”Newborn screening for all SCID types through the National Newborn Bloodspot Screening Programme will help find infants before they present clinically with infections, allowing for earlier access to potentially curative treatment. In this way, the benefits of screening can be considerable for children with SCID and their families.”

You can read the full Health Technology Assessment published by HIQA here.