Test offered to every child born in the UK exposed baby's '1 in 2500' condition
15.04.2023 - 06:59
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Shortly after little Millie Marie was born, her parents noticed she was struggling to gain any weight.
Though food was going “straight through” the Bolton tot, her family weren't overly concerned. But when a heel prick screening advised further testing, they feared the symptom could mean something sinister.
Tragically, results showed Millie Marie had cystic fibrosis in her pancreas – leaving the family devastated.
READ MORE: 'Healthy' mum-of-three, 22, given devastating diagnosis while pregnant with third child
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited condition where the lungs and digestive system can become clogged with thick, sticky mucus. It can cause problems with breathing and digestion from a young age.
Over time, the lungs become increasingly damaged and may eventually stop working properly. There's currently no cure for cystic fibrosis, but a number of treatments are available to help control the symptoms, prevent complications, and make the condition easier to live with.
The heel prick test, also known as newborn blood screening, that exposed Millie's condition is offered to every baby born in the UK, ideally to be done when they are five-days-old. Babies who are new to the country or are yet to have a heel prick test are able to have the test at any time up to 1 year old. However, this does not include the cystic fibrosis screening test, which is not reliable after 8 weeks of age, the NHS advises.
The screening tests for nine rare but serious conditions, including cystic fibrosis, which affects around 10,800 people in the UK - equivalent to one in every 2500 babies born.
Millie Marie’s grandad, Stuart Scrivener, can recall the moment the family received the diagnosis. “It was a shock, a massive shock,” the