Newborn Screening

There are 1.876 billion children aged 0 to 15 years in the world. Although they account for 28% of the human population, they do not always have access to therapies and diagnostics specifically adapted to their physiology. See world infant mortality rates in 2013 Usually, all newborns are routinely screened for certain genetic, metabolic, hormonal and functional disorders. Most of these birth defects have no immediate visible effects on a baby but, unless detected and treated early, they can cause physical problems, mental retardation and, in some cases, death. Fortunately, most babies are given a clean bill of health when tested. However, some are found to have metabolic disorders and in these cases, only early diagnostic and proper treatment can make the difference between healthy development and lifelong impairment. OverviewThe biological blood sampling method traditionally used for adults is difficult to apply in some paediatric cases. In fact, venous sampling is technically difficult in children, as their veins are tiny and difficult to localise. Further, children and parents fear of classic blood drawing makes the work of medical care professionals in charge of sampling more difficult. ZenTech's vision is to come up with adapted in vitro diagnostic solutions using less or non-invasive sampling methods, and to provide a wide range of diagnostic paediatric products by developing adult kits in formats specifically adapted to children.