LifeCell Expands Its Suite Of Diagnostic Offerings To Promote Better Newborn Health
Introduces Omega Score, a first-of-its-kind critical diagnostic test in the country
Chennai, 10th May 2021: With an aim to provide the best possible healthcare to every child born in India, Life Cell, India’s leading diagnostic solutions provider, has introduced the first-of-its-kind diagnostic test called Ome ga Score. The OmegaScore-Prenatal and OmegaScore-Newborn test has been specially designed for Indian preg nant women as well as mothers respectively to determine the concentration of a critical omega-3 fatty acid, DH A, also known as docosahexaenoic acid. This fatty acid has been proven to be essential for the overall health and cognitive development of a child. DHA is particularly vital for the development of the brain and retina of the fet us during the third trimester till 18 months of the baby’s life. However, according to suggested reports, DHA intake in Indian pregnant women in the third trimester is the lowest when compared to pregnant women in ot her developing countries. LifeCell’s Omega Score, thus, provides a convenient way to carry out an in-depth an alysis to quantify DHA levels that give the baby the necessary health boost essential for their rapidly developing brain.
Critical in vision and cognitive development, DHA accounts for 97% of omega-3 fatty acids found in the brain. Experts further underscore the importance of DHA in pregnancy as research has shown that DHA intake can prevent preterm birth, lowers the risk of preeclampsia, and also ensures a healthy birth weight. Interestingly, our body cannot manufacture DHA and it has to be obtained through a DHA-rich diet. DHA is primarily found in fatty fish such as tuna, salmon, and anchovies. Since a large population in India follows a vegetarian diet, Indian mothers and pregnant women have been found to be deficient in DHA. Moreover, DHA intake is the lowest in India compared to other developing countries, thus, highlighting the need for its supplementation during preg nancy and lactation.
Speaking on the new addition, Mr. Mayur Abhaya, MD, LifeCell In ernational, said, “It is important that Indian wo men have access to quality healthcare because the health of the children today, dete r mines the future health of our society. We at LifeCell, thus, con sider it is a priority to provide every mother and baby with adv anced, acc essible, and affordable diagnostic services. LifeCell, therefore, has introduced this diagnostic service for pre gn ant women as well as mothers, highlighting the importance of DHA not only in fetal development but also in healthy brain and eye function in growing children. With the launch of Omega Score, we not only hope to raise awareness about the importance of DHA in maternal nutrition but also to encourage a proactive rather than reactive approach towards maintaining their own and their baby’s health. ”
Omega Score is a simple, yet convenient test that can be booked by visiting www.lifecell.in. OmegaScore-Pre natal is a self-collection blood test whereas OmegasScore-Newborn is a self-collection breast milk test to make the testing experience comfortable and uncomplicated for pregnant women as well as breastfeeding mothers. Once the test is booked, a specially designed collection kit with instructions is delivered to the doorstep. After self sample collection, the kit is collected and delivered back to LifeCell and the result is shared within 3 working days. With just one drop, women can now make the right decisions for providing the best nutrition to their gro wing babies.
About LifeCell:
Established in 2004, LifeCell is India’s first and largest community stem cell bank, enjoying the trust of over 3,5 0,000 parents. We are the only player in the industry providing comprehensive stem cell solutions including the novel initiative of community stem cell banking, R&D and point-of-care stem cell therapy for orthopedic and va scular specialties. Our diagnostic division offers India’s most comprehensive preventive healthcare program for mother & baby care, consisting preconception, prenatal and newborn testing services aimed at addressing the challenge of high infant mortality rate in the country as well as promoting health and wellness for generations to come.
