Welcome to ISNS
Welcome to the website of the International Society for Neonatal Screening (ISNS).
This society is aiming to advance screening for neonatal and infant sicknesses and disorders, worldwide. Please read its vision and mission, respectively.
ISNS has around 500 members in more than 70 different countries. Most members have a professional (para)medical background but a few are involved in parents or patients advocacy groups.
For more information about ISNS visit the ISNS-Info section (see here).
ISNS welcomes new members who have demonstrated an active interest in neonatal screening.
News for Members
If you paid your membership dues and still do not receive the ISNS Newsletter please notify the ISNS Office.
If you change your email address please notify the ISNS Office.
Archived news items for members can be found at https://membership.isns-neoscreening.org under "files". You have to log in as a member first.
If you did not pay your 2022 membership dues yet, please do so NOW, otherwise you will not receive any more newsletters.
Corona - Covid19 statement
Several members have asked for guidance on handling DBS cards from infants from potentially infected mothers. There is evidence that in properly dried blood samples the virus does not survive (see https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanmic/article/PIIS2666-5247(20)30003-3/fulltext). Of course, as always, the usual precautions on handling biological materials should be taken.
Hot topics for members
About
Two historic, very interesting, videos on PKU now available!
The Laboratory of Newborn Screening of Catalonia from Hospital Clínic of Barcelona (Spain), via Dr Ana Argudo-Ramírez, kindly made available to ISNS two historic videos.
The first one shows the original bacterial inhibition assay method for PKU, galactosemia etc. using the Phillips Punch Index Machine. This video was acquired and brought to Barcelona in 1968 by Prof. Juan Sabaté Tobella who was doing a training in the laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he learned the Guthrie method with Dr. Vivian Shi, director of the laboratory.
The second one concerns a TV show about PKU presented by Dr. Leonard Taitz, possibly made in the '80s.
If the videos will not open in your usual webbrowser please try another one.
Please see
https://aecom.com.es/fenilalanina-medir-metodo-dr-guthrie/
and
https://aecom.com.es/pku-progrrama-tv/
Hot topics for members
On May 7, 2022, Prof Kwaku Ohene Frempong (Philadelphia (PA) USA, passed away.
Prof Ohene Frempong pioneered the testing for and treatment of sickle cell disease around the world and developed the first public health program for screening newborns in Africa.
An extensive obituary has been published in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Please see
https://www.inquirer.com/obituaries/kwaku-ohene-frempong-obituary-sickle-cell-philadelphia-ghana-20220519.html
Worldwide members
The location of members worldwide as of Jan. 1, 2022, is shown in the picture on the right. Countries/states with at least one member are shown in blue, others in grey.
How do I become a member?
Please read this and subsequently click on the button Member application.
Why should I join as a member?
As a member you are entitled to see the privileged pages containing specific news items, a monthly neonatal screening literature service and a discount to ISNS-related conferences. Under certain conditions you may apply for travel grants to such conferences. Having access to the on line membership directory you have easier access to other members sharing specific interests.
ISNS Journal
The ISNS supervises a journal, the International Journal of Neonatal Screening, published by MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
For information, please follow this link.
Members are stimulated to use this journal for their publications.
