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Asian chinese newborn baby girl and dadd
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Portrait of a newborn Asian baby on the

The Most Advanced IEMs Screening Technology 

Asian parent and daughter blowing bubble

If your child fails to thrive, appears irritable, feeds poorly, ask your pediatrician

to test for IEMs.

Our urine-based META-Child test, is uses Most Advanced Inborn Errors of Metabolism (IEMs) Screening Technology, to screen for over 150 metabolic conditions that can impact on your child’s development. The test will be analyzed at our NSQAP & ERNDIM (*) accredited laboratories in Japan and early detection of those conditions can be life altering for a child.

Collectively, inborn Errors of Metabolism (IEMs: otherwise known as metabolic disorders) refers to a group of rare genetic disorders in which the body cannot metabolize food components normally.

Usually caused by defects in the enzymes that break down food components.

Collectively, Inborn error of metabolism (IEM) may affect 1 out of 800 births (1) to 1 in 3165 births (2).

Family Decorating Eggs
Family Decorating Eggs
Family Decorating Eggs
Happy Young Family

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a classic example and if diagnosed early, the child will thrive normally! Early diagnosis and simple treatment could avoid early mortality and prevent or reduce mental retardation. Our laboratories have been instrumental in assisting clinicians to confirm suspicion for high-risk cases (particularly in organic aciduria cases). To date, we have screened more than 380,000 individuals, and identified 3500 patients with 75 different IEMs. Our testing methodology is simple and non-invasive, and can be performed easily by parents, or hospital personnel using MetaChild’s patented collection device (JP3475834B2). The collection bag allows for remote areas collection as well as transportation for prolonged periods (3 to 4 days prior to sample processing). The Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) used by MetaChild is NSQAP & ERNDIM (*) accredited.

Ref:

[1] Arch Dis Child. 2006 Nov;91(11):896-9. Epub 2006 May 11.

[2] Mol Genet Metab. 2014 Sep-Oct;113(1-2):53-61. 

1. Amino acid metabolic disorders

2. Carbohydrates metabolic disorders

3. Organic acid metabolic disorders

4. Fatty acid metabolic disorders

5. Lactic acid, hyperpyruvic acid metabolic disorders

Happy Kids in Pool

The List of IEMs include:

6. Nucleic acid metabolic disorders

7. Peroxisomal metabolic disorders

8. Purine & pyrimidine metabolic disorders

9. Urea Cycle metabolic disorders

10. Other target diseases

What is MetaChild?

  1. A newborn screening test for the detection of many severe & fatal metabolic disorders (inborn errors of metabolism, IEMs) 

  2. Screening on urine samples, non-invasive

  3. The reports tell you the levels of

  • amino acids

  • carbohydrates

  • fatty acids 

  • other metabolites

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Baby with IEM doesn't appear

abnormal at the early beginning

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However, baby lacks enzyme to break down normal formula milk properly

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Eventually baby become sick and start to have symptoms like vomiting, seizures

Why you need MetaChild?

Respiratory disease

Poor feeding

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Hypotonicity

or hypertonicity

Abnormal odour

of urine

Abnormal eye findings (cataract, retinopathy, etc.)

High risk factors:

  • Advanced maternal age

  • Reproductive failures in mother

  • Stillbirth / neonate death / perinatal death in mother

  • Previsions prematurity / IUGR/LBW / placental abnormalities

  • Mental retardation in family

  • ​Congenital anomalies & physical deformities

  • Previous child with chromosomal anomalies

  • Epileptic mother on antiepileptic drugs

  • Drugs intake / irradiation during pregnancy

  • Exposure to toxic (carcinogenic / teratogenic) agents

How does MetaChild work?

Urine

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Data analysis 

GCMS Analysis 

Result 

FAQ of MetaChild

Q1: When is the best time to have MetaChild?

A1: You may schedule MetaChild during pregnancy and have the test within 3-5 days after the birth of your baby.

 

Q2: My baby did not have MetaChild at the best time, is it possible to have the test later on?

A2: Yes. Since the onset of most of inborn errors of metabolism is from birth to 12 years old, your baby may have MetaChild later on.

​

Q3: When will I get MetaChild results?

A3: The results will be ready 3-5 days after the laboratory received urine samples.

​

Q4: Where should I go if I would like to schedule MetaChild?

A4: You may check with THAI StemLife-CONTACT US.​

​

Q5: What if my babys MetaChild result is abnormal?

A5: If a test result comes back abnormal, try not to panic. This does not necessarily mean that your baby has a disorder. A screening test is not the same as diagnostic test. If this happens, the laboratory will contact your paediatrician. Diagnostic testing will be necessary to confirm the diagnosis.

​

Q6: Why is it important to have MetaChild?

A6: Early detection allows early treatment. Since many of the harmful effects of metabolic disorders can be reduced, either by diet or medication, treatment is best if started early.

(*) Newborn Screening Quality Assurance Program NSQAP & European Research Network for evaluation and improvement of screening, Diagnosis and Treatment of Inborn errors of Metabolism ERNDIM

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