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45
Screening for Phenylketonuria
All new-born babies have a screening test at the age of six days, using the
Guthrie method, for the detection of phenylketonuria. This is normally carried
out in hospital on babies born in hospital, and by domiciliary midwives on
children born at home and on those babies discharged from hospital before six
days. This test is used to detect the presence of phenylketones in the blood
which result from metabolic disorder which if left untreated may lead to
mental subnormality. Positive cases are referred to hospital for treatment.
There were 58,436 attendances at child health and toddler's sessions and
626 attendances at ante-natal and post-natal clinic sessions. The Council provides
facilities at some centres for general practitioners obstetricians to see their own
booked maternity patients and 149 such sessions were held during the period.
Creches at which mothers may leave their children for the duration of the
session (normally 3 hours) are available at many child health centres. There were
1,376 sessions during the period at which 15,964 attendances were made.