National Taiwan University (NTU) Hospital’s Newborn Screening Center has worked with hospitals and clinics across Taiwan, conducting screening for around 120,000 newborns between 2014 and 2016 and finding eight babies with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Two of the babies have been transferred to a different hospital to receive treatment.
SMA is a recessive genetic disease. According to Chien Yin-hsiu, a doctor at NTU Hospital’s Department of Medical Genetics and Department of Pediatrics, SMA patients may appear no different from healthy children in the first one or two months after their birth, but they will gradually lose the ability to move their limbs, to breath and to swallow, which eventually leads to death, usually around the age of one. However, in some cases, the onset of SMA does not occur until the patient is 10 or 20 years old, or even older.
Through extensive newborn screening, NTU Hospital has proven that SMA can be diagnosed in newborns through such screenings. The research was published in the July issue of the Journal of Pediatrics. Now hospitals in the US and Japan have followed NTU Hospital’s footsteps and started conducting SMA screening for newborns.
Photo: CNA
照片：中央社
According to statistics, if untreated or unaided by ventilators, only 10 percent of children with SMA reach their first birthday. However, children who begin receiving treatment before the onset of the disease may have reduced symptoms and higher survival rates.
(CNA, Translated by Tu Yu-an)
從二○一四年到去年，台大醫院新生兒篩檢中心整合全台醫療院所，為十二萬嬰兒進行篩檢，找到八名患有脊髓型肌肉萎縮症的嬰兒，並轉介其中兩人進行治療。
脊髓型肌肉萎縮症是隱性遺傳疾病。台大醫院基因學部暨小兒部主治醫師簡穎秀說，患童剛出生一、兩個月內可能很正常，但四肢會漸漸不能動，呼吸跟吞嚥也會有困難，之後約在一歲時死亡，但有些病患也可能在十歲或二十歲以後才會發病。
台大團隊透過大規模篩檢證實脊髓型肌肉萎縮症患嬰可經由篩檢確認，成果已發表於今年七月的《小兒科期刊》。現在美國、日本團隊也都追隨台大腳步，為新生兒進行該病症的篩檢。
根據統計，罹病的孩子如果沒有治療或使用呼吸器，九成活不過一歲，但若在發病前開始藥物治療，可延緩症狀並提升孩子的活存率。
(中央社)
As global travel rebounds following the COVID-19 pa ndemic, the longstanding issue of overtourism has returned stronger than ever. Throughout 2024, numerous popular destinations worldwide struggled with tourist numbers that far exceeded their infrastructural and environmental capacities. Not only does this surge congest streets and pollute landscapes, but it also endangers cultural sites and disrupts the daily lives of residents. In response to the growing problem of “overtourism,” various nations have adopted diverse strategies, some of which have sparked controversy. Venice, Italy, has not hesitated to take bold action; since 2024, the city has implemented one of the
In an effort to fight phone scams, British mobile phone company O2 has introduced Daisy, an AI designed to engage phone con artists in time-wasting conversations. Daisy is portrayed as a kindly British granny, exploiting scammers’ tendency to target the elderly. Her voice, based on a real grandmother’s for authenticity, adds to her credibility in the role. “O2” has distributed several dedicated phone numbers online to direct scammers to Daisy instead of actual customers. When Daisy receives a call, she translates the scammers’ spoken words into text and then responds to them accordingly through a text-to-speech system. Remarkably, Daisy
A: This year’s Met Gala, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s fundraiser, is coming on the first Monday of May. B: The event, featuring a lineup of stars, is often praised as fashion’s Oscars. A: Some Asian stars, like Taiwanese pop diva Jolin Tsai, have also attended in the past. B: What are the theme and dress code this time? A: This year’s theme is “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” It’s the first time since 2003 that the theme is focusing on menswear. The dress code is “Tailored for You.” A: 哇今年的大都會博物館慈善晚宴「Met Gala」，即將在5月第一個星期一登場。 B: 這可是被譽為「時尚奧斯卡」的年度盛事，許多巨星都會參加耶。 A:
A: Isn’t the Met Gala, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s fundraiser, chaired by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour? B: Yeah, the blockbuster “The Devil Wears Prada” is allegedly based on her story. A: This year’s four co-chairs are actor Colman Domingo, F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, rapper A$AP Rocky and Louis Vuitton men’s creative director Pharrell Williams. B: And basketball superstar LeBron James is the honorary chair. A: I can’t wait to see the lineup of stars on the red carpet. A: 大都會博物館慈善晚宴「Met Gala」，是《時尚》雜誌全球總監安娜溫圖為該館服裝學院主辦的募款活動吧？ B: 對啊，電影《穿著普拉達的惡魔》據說是以她為範本。 A: 今年晚宴共同主席還有：演員柯爾曼多明哥、F1賽車手路易斯漢米頓、饒舌歌手A$AP洛基、LV男裝創意總監菲董。 B: 籃球巨星勒布朗詹姆斯則是榮譽主席。 A: 紅毯上的全球星光真令人期待！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
RSS