Dr. Wilberto Lopez of the Philippine Heart Center attributed the prevalence of heart disease among children to the poor socioeconomic conditions and birth defects. He said that children aged five and below are usually afflicted with congenital heart disease or heart problems caused by deformities during pregnancy. Meanwhile, the 5-15 year age bracket is plagued by rheumatic heart diseases arising from rheumatic heart fever. Data from PHA show that eight to 10 out of every 1,000 live births have congenital heart disease. Rheumatic fever, on the other hand, can be seen in one out of every 1,000 schoolchildren.
Rheumatic fever is a clinical presentation of heart problems without actual damage to the organ.
It begins with streptococcal infection or tonsilitis, and if unchecked, will progress to rheumatic heart disease, which is in most cases, fatal. The Newborn Screening Project of the DOH aims to detect in newborn babies early signs of metabolic disorders that cause mental retardation or death if not treated. The project targets to screen all newborn babies to find out whether they lack the necessary metabolic needs that hamper their proper development. Dr. Marrieta Fuentes, DOH regional director for Northern Mindanao, said they would focus on the metabolic dysfunction of the newborn babies that cause mental retardation, such as those lacking in iodine and other potential causes. The screening is done 48 hours after a baby is born wherein blood samples will be taken and analyzed.