Nanomehr held its 7^th training workshop on the subject of prenatal screening in 2017 in Tehran.

The advent of Alpha comprehensive prenatal screening software in Iran gets back to establishment of Nanomehr in 2004. Now, this company is the exclusive agent of the largest reference to the prenatal screening named Alpha, a screening software having analyzed 12million pregnant mothers in 51 countries and has nearly 700 active users in Iran. Since 2004, continuous trainings in the field of prenatal screening and the way of using Alpha software has been high on the Nanomehr agenda, and under agreements with Alpha, free and lifetime aftersales services have been available for its users. In 2016 and 2017, 7^th prenatal screening workshops have been held in different cities including Qom, Esfahan, Shiraz, Hamedan, and so on. The most recent one held on the first of March in 2017 was in Tehran.

Workshop topics:

-History and expressions of Prenatal screening.

-The screening in the first and second trimester.

-Quality control and the comparison between different software according to the check list published by MOH.

-The usage of free DNA in the blood of mother (Cell free DNA)

Mr. Kouhestani the CEO of Nanomehr stated that the audiences of this workshop in the first level are lab experts working in the screening part, but the presence of DR. Ashtiani, DR. Zandieh, DR. Hossein Ali Zadeh, and DR. Shams Burhan highlighted the richness of the workshop.

Our main goal of holding this workshop was transferring information between participants and organizers, and studying and presenting the documents that are available for Alpha users. So, presenting check lists set by gynecologists, genetic specialists, MOH, and other groups to improve the process of screening was one of our important plans. Thanks loads to these ones specially MOH for all following ups and organizing the required check list.

He continued that Alpha group officially introduced to the world by Wolfson institute in 1988. Alpha software has been designed based on scientific information, and annually updates. The purpose of this company is scientific not commercial, so that posters and advertising of Alpha nowhere can be seen. We also have followed this policy. He added, enhancing the quality is more important than increasing users.

Finally, Nanomehr CEO asserted that one of his wishes is to provide good services in this field and can decrease maternal anxiety. He said “I am really glad that we have been able to identify a large number of Down babies among more than 2million screenings that we have had so far, apart from what has been decided for them. It is worth mentioning that some of them have not identified yet, due to these traditional screening methods, unfortunately, from every 5 Down babies, 4 of them can be identified and one of them can’t. Of course we do screening because of those four Down babies. I hope that all of us contribute in enhancing screening.”

In this one-day workshop, making a live connection with 2 members of Wolfson Institute and having free discussion with them, taking an exam and giving some gifts to participants by lot were other programs that made the workshop more interesting.