Brother’s Brother Foundation, in partnership with neurologists at Boston Children’s Hospital and their colleagues at the Instituto de Nutricion y Tecnologia de los Alimentos (INTA), Universidad de Chile, is working to acquire a mass spectrometer for newborn screenings in Chile. The mass spectrometer is a critical piece of medical equipment that can identify and subsequently help manage often life-altering health issues. By testing the blood from a heel stick from newborn babies, one test can be used to identify more than 40 different metabolic diseases. With early detection, these diseases can be effectively managed and treated – leading to healthy and normal development in babies.

In the United States, tandem mass spectrometry has been used in every newborn screening since 2007. However, it is estimated that less than one third of newborns worldwide have access to any screening test.