Last month, we published a health technology assessment (HTA) on the addition of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) to the National Newborn Bloodspot Screening Programme (NNBSP). This HTA was undertaken to inform decision-making by the National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC). The Minister for Health, following a positive recommendation from NSAC, approved the addition of SCID to the NNBSP.
The NNBSP provides newborn bloodspot screening (also referred to as the ‘heel prick test’) within the first 72 to 120 hours of life and currently screens for nine conditions. SCID is a rare, life-threatening, inherited condition that results in a child having low levels of T-cells. This causes the child to have a weakened immune system and be vulnerable to infection. SCID can be identified through screening, family history or the development of severe and or recurrent infections.
We found that earlier diagnosis and treatment leads to better clinical outcomes for children with SCID, with reduced mortality rates and avoidance of harms. Screening will enable the earlier detection of children with SCID. However, it will also identify children who have very low levels of T-cells for other reasons, not all of which will be clinically relevant or will benefit from earlier detection.
HIQA’s Director of Health Technology Assessment, Dr Máirín Ryan, said: “Newborn screening for all SCID types through the National Newborn Bloodspot Screening Programme will help find infants before they present clinically with infections, allowing for earlier access to potentially curative treatment. In this way, the benefits of screening can be considerable for children with SCID and their families.”
Read the full HTA on the HIQA website here .