Friuli Venezia Giulia Enhances Health Program – Utah”>Maternal and Neonatal Health with New Screening Measures
The Friuli Venezia Giulia Region takes a significant step towards maternal and neonatal health by introducing new prenatal and newborn screening programs. Backed by a recent regional council decision, these additional screenings expand healthcare options and enable timely interventions to improve pregnancy outcomes and newborn well-being.
"With the new document on additional prenatal and newborn screening campaigns, Friuli introduces new screening types. These include tests to conduct during pregnancy and others post-delivery," explains Regional Health Assessor Riccardo Riccardi. "These tools are essential for ensuring the health and well-being of both mother and child, allowing us to intervene promptly."
The new regional newborn screening programs will cover:
- Spinal muscular atrophy
- Congenital immunodeficiencies
- Sickle cell anemia and other major hemoglobinopathies
Additionally, four new prenatal screening options will be available for pregnant women:
- Non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT)
- Cytomegalovirus screening
- Chagas disease screening for at-risk women
- Tuberculosis infection screening for at-risk women
Riccardi underscores that these new newborn screenings align with advances in diagnostic technology, enabling early detection and treatment of various conditions. "Some healthcare providers have already started implementing pilot projects for these screenings," he says.
Currently, the region already offers extensive newborn screening, including:
- Expanded metabolic screening
- Lysosomal storage disorders screening
- Cystic fibrosis screening
These additional screenings are expected to be reviewed and potentially updated in the future, as dictated by the health ministry’s periodic updates to its list of newborn conditions.
Regarding prenatal screenings, Riccardi explains that Friuli Venezia Giulia is adopting NIPT as a second-level screening, following an initial high-intermediate risk result from the first-level test, which is already recommended for all pregnant women. Additionally, CMV screening is becoming more crucial due to the availability of effective antiviral treatments for maternal infection to prevent severe neurological sequelae in newborns.
