GUANTÁNAMO.–Some 6,500 pregnant women and 5,000 newborns up to three months of age received specialized attention in 2016 at the Provincial Genetics Center in this city, founded February 16, 11 years ago.
Thanks to the efforts of the more than 20 experts working here, the early detection of congenital problems incompatible with life has been possible,
department head Ana Irsi Tissert Tamayo, told ACN.
According to Tissert, the carefully conducted work done here over the past decade has contributed significantly to keeping infant mortality low and raising life expectancy for infants born in the province.
The Center's work include prenatal assessment of genetic risks, spinal cord defects, sickle cell anemia, and chromosomal abnormalities through
cytogenetic studies and active neonatal monitoring.
Also emphasized is risk assessment prior to pregnancy and consultation with at-risk couples considering having children.
The Center works closely with the province's network of neighborhood family doctors and polyclinics who first initiate pre-conception and prenatal care.
The national program of medical genetics associated with infant-maternal care has continued to develop since its establishment if the 1980s, reflecting the Cuban state's commitment to guaranteeing quality universal health care.