Newborns In Indonesia Now Mandatory To Screen The Hydrothyroid Concentric, This Is An Explanation From The Ministry Of Health

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) requires all newborns in Indonesia to undergo the screening of the Kongenial Hydroroid (SHK). This step is to detect early on the potential for thyroid hormone deficiency which can trigger metabolic disorders.

"Starting today, all babies born in Indonesia must be examined by SHK to screen if there is a risk of abnormalities in children's growth and development," said Deputy Minister of Health (Wamenkes) Dante Saksono Harbuwono in a written statement, quoted from Antara, Thursday, September 1.

This policy was marked by the re-launch of the newborn baby SHK Program at the Batujajar Health Center, West Bandung Regency, West Java, Wednesday, August 31.

He said the policy was part of the implementation of the transformation of primary services that emphasized preventive promotive efforts considering that most cases of Kongenial hypothyroid shortage were asymptomatic.

"Parents don't realize it, new distinctive symptoms arise as children get older," he said.

The Congenital Hydroroid screening is a screening carried out on newborns to sort out infants suffering from HK and babies who are not sufferers.

The screening is by taking blood samples on a baby's heels aged at least 48 to 72 hours and a maximum of two weeks by health workers at a mother and child health care facility as part of an essential neon service.

Blood is taken as much as two to three drops from the baby's heels, then examined in the laboratory. If the results are positive, the baby must be treated immediately before he is one month old in order to avoid defects, growth and development disorders, and mental and cognitive backwardness.

"A drop of heels saved the lives of the nation's children. Because once they found out that their thyroid levels were low, they were immediately treated. The treatment could last a lifetime so that they could grow and develop optimally," he said.

In this national declaration, Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono Harbuwono held a virtual interactive dialogue with health workers in several provinces.

His party advised that the HK examination be intensified again so that children who have the risk of HK can be found and handled immediately.