DNA testing for critically ill babies rolled out on NHS to speed up diagnosis and treatment.
A REVOLUTIONARY form of DNA testing will now be offered on the NHS to diagnose rare diseases in critically ill children.
"This quick and accurate new test means rapid diagnosis and reassurance for families when they need it most and gives babies and children the best chance of a healthy and happy life." The test can detect rare neurological, metabolic or other conditions by identifying genetic mutations and helps to show which patients will respond to treatment - saving unnecessary medication and reducing harmful side effects.
It is being routinely offered to children in neonatal or paediatric intensive care units when clinicians suspect they have a genetic condition.The test, delivered by the South West Genomic Laboratory Hub, looks for mutations in pieces of an individual's DNA that provide instructions for making proteins, usually taken from a blood sample.
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