“The pandemic has affected everybody whether in the Philippines or other parts of the world. What is important now is to answer how we move forward. There are challenges but there are actions and solutions. This is the time for us to discuss these challenges and work together to address them. We have a role in the lives of our patients and whether we have COVID-19 or not, the responsibility remains the same,” UP Manila Professor and Chancellor Carmencita Padilla said while urging the participants to continue serving patients as she closed the last webinar session of the Inborn Errors of Metabolism (IEMs) lecture series on September 29, 2020. The last session was graced by Dr. Maureen Evans, Senior Metabolic Dietitian from the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. She shared the international professional practice in genetic metabolic dietetics.
The series of webinars and workshops started last July 28 in response to the limited number of healthcare professionals capable of handling the nutritional management of IEM patients in the Philippines. Clinical nutritionist-dietitians from newborn screening continuity clinic hospitals and regional hospitals and public health nutritionist-dietitians were invited to attend a total of 12 lectures and 5 workshops to eventually become part of the network that looks after patients with IEM. This series was designed to help nutritionist-dieticians have a deeper knowledge of genetic disorders and their corresponding nutritional restrictions. The workshops included several sessions aimed to give the participants a higher competency in computing metabolic diet prescription, including the sick-day regimen and use of different medical formulas.
IEMs are genetic disorders usually caused by a deficiency of enzymes or their cofactors resulting in the accumulation of toxic metabolites. Nutritional management of IEMs is vital to attain good metabolic control, prevent complications, and ensure proper growth and development. These genetic disorders started to be detected and diagnosed in 1996 through Newborn Screening (NBS). Five disorders were screened at that time. In 2012, Expanded Newborn Screening (ENBS) became available, allowing the detection of more than 28 disorders. With the increasing number of patients being confirmed positive for one of these disorders, additional nutritionist-dietitians are needed to handle the nutritional care of IEM patients.
Through the series of lectures, the following were discussed: Philippine Expanded Newborn Screening and its role in the prevention of mortality and development of complications; roles of nutritionist-dietitians in the system of IEM management in the Philippines (including the referral system, continuity clinics, source and allocation of medical formulas, etc.); basic genetics, pathophysiology, clinical features, and treatment of selected IEMs; nutritional care process involved in the management for in- and out- patients; strategies in conducting dietary counseling among IEM patients; and IEM dietary management in the global and local setting.
With limited resources and local reference materials in the country, the organizers together with all participants who completed the series will start a run of consultations to develop standard reference materials for specific conditions.
Vina Mendoza | Published in Healthscape Special COVID-19 Issue No. 17
