Iranian scientists successful in producing screening kits for newborns
Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) has announced that Iranian experts had successfully made screening kits for newborn babies despite severe sanctions.
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Mohammad Eslami stated Tuesday that Iran is among the top five countries manufacturing screening kits for neonatal metabolic disorders.
The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said that thanks to efforts made by the Iranian scientists in the AEOI and the cooperation of the Technology Development Center of Azad University in Markazi Province, Iran had acquired Oxygen-18 along with producing heavy water in molecular engineering.
He pointed out that the Iranian researchers had achieved Oxygen-18, a natural and stable isotope of oxygen, based on result-oriented studies.
"Iranians have reached the point that they can produce screening kits for newborn kids," Eslami said.
The project took one year, he added, highlighting that Iranian researchers made excessive efforts and there were some investments, so today, the Iranian citizens can use the kits to diagnose metabolic disorders in babies at birth.
Eslami announced that the Food and Drug Administration of Iran (IFDA) had issued permission to distribute the kits.
He pointed out that the amount of production of this kit is much more than the consumption requirements in Iran, so there are some plans to export it to other states.
The West adopted a hostile stance when it came to heavy water projects in Iran and put excessive pressure on the Islamic Republic in order to stop this development in the country, he said, arguing that the West had displayed such behavior when some East European countries tried to develop this technology.
Eslami said that thanks to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei's wise stance to protect nuclear technology, the Iranian nation could witness the outcomes of this everyday progress in their lives.
Neonatal screening or Newborn Screening involves screening newborns in the first days of their lives for inborn errors of metabolism and certain disorders that can hinder the baby's normal development.
These disorders are not apparent at the time of the baby's birth, but have the potential to cause permanent neurological, cognitive, tactile and physical damage in the child. Early detection of such diseases enables initiating suitable interventions to prevent concerning conditions in the long run.
