What we know
What information do we have about the Eastern Board area?
What is the result of this on our health locally?
Policies
What is happening in the Eastern Board area?

Screening in childhood is extremely important. This should be the time to build on the relationship between health professionals and parents established in the antenatal and neonatal stages, to encourage sensible habits in relation to the child’s health, and to detect abnormalities or disorders at an early stage when effective treatment or intervention is available. Screening in childhood is a specific contact made by a health care worker with a child to identify any mental or physical disorder, defects of sight or hearing and so on.

Back to top

There are a number of childhood conditions where early intervention can improve outcome and for which appropriate screening tests/procedures exist.

The National Screening Committee (NSC) advises Government on screening policy and quality assurance. Currently the NSC supports screening for infants/children for the following conditions:

Phenylketonuria
Congenital hypothyroidism
Cystic fibrosis
Sensori-neural hearing impairment
Dislocation of the hip
Visual impairment including cataract and squint
Congenital heart disease
Congenital anomalies
Cryptorchidism (undescended/malpositioned testes)
Sickle Cell Disease

Back to top

Screening can never be 100% accurate, i.e. it cannot identify all cases. Generally, screening identifies a group of infants/children at increased risk of a condition. Diagnostic tests are then offered/carried out. ‘Abnormal’ screening results may also occur among infants/children who do not have the condition being screened for (false positives). Thus screening may result in unnecessary anxiety and investigations, which may have adverse effects. In addition, for some conditions, an abnormality may develop following a 'normal' screening result.

Back to top