Ninewells Hospital raises awareness on thyroid disease in newborns for Thyroid Day 2022

Ninewells Hospital, Sri Lanka’s leading woman and childcare hospital in the private sector, commemorates the World Thyroid Day on May 25 by emphasising the significance of early detection and treatment of congenital hypothyroidism (CHT) among newborns in Sri Lanka. 

CHT is a condition affecting infants from birth and refers to an absent thyroid gland or a thyroid gland that is present but is unable to produce adequate thyroid hormones. On average, one in 4,000 babies are born with a severe form of CHT in Sri Lanka, while milder forms can be seen more commonly. If left untreated, the condition can affect brain development as well as normal growth in children and adolescents. Conversely, if detected and treated early, the damaging effects of CHT can be reversed and prevented completely. 

“As Sri Lanka’s leading private sector childcare health service provider, we want to draw attention to the serious implications of CHT on the World Thyroid Day this year. CHT is a condition, which has a detrimental impact on postnatal development. For this reason, early detection and treatment is vital and should ideally begin within the first two weeks after birth,” said Ninewells Hospital Chief Operations Officer and Director Dr. Vibash Wijeratne.
In 2021, Ninewells Hospital unveiled a thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) testing facility to support Sri Lanka’s national programme for screening newborns for CHT and the country’s vision for a healthier population. Since then, the hospital has carried out over 8,000 tests in 2021 and over 2,000 tests between January and May of 2022. 

With the unveiling, Ninewells Hospital became the first in the private sector to introduce a TSH screening machine and became one of the only two hospitals in the country to offer this screening service. 

“The screening for CHT is a simple process that is performed using a heel prick test. At Ninewells, the test report following the screening is issued within a short span of three days, which is unprecedented in the country. This allows healthcare providers to begin immediate treatment to avoid development impediments in newborns and infants,” Dr. Wijeratne also said.

Ninewells Hospital is Sri Lanka’s premier women’s and children’s hospital in the private sector, providing a variety of specialty services such as obstetrics, gynaecology, paediatrics, and fertility. The hospital, which is backed by the Access Group of Companies’ visionary leadership, continues to push boundaries and raise the bar for women’s and children’s healthcare in Sri Lanka.