It gives me immense pleasure to present the first issue of LABRAD in the post COVID 19 era. While the threat of the pandemic is not entirely over, its intensity has significantly abated globally. The world has opened and is learning to adapt to the new normal. As things begin to become normal around the world, we all need to realize that the reason the pandemic has been controlled so quickly and we could enter the “post-pandemic era" is due to strict application of scientific knowledge. 

It was only due to the tremendous advancements in science and technology that an effective vaccine was developed in record time, which led to the rapid control of the pandemic. The pandemic resulted in an extremely high mortality and morbidity all over the world. We need to salute the health care workers especially the personnel working in clinical laboratory settings around the world who worked throughout on the front lines in combating the pandemic. Now that the situation has returned to normal “and the dance of death” which claimed hundreds and thousands of lives around the world has practically ended, it felt appropriate that we celebrate the miracle of life and my team thought we could do this best by dedicating this issue of LABRAD to the celebration of the beginning of life. We decided that this issue should be on mother and child diagnostics pertaining to screening and diagnostic tests which are essential in ensuring the safety and good health of the mother and baby, not just before, but also after the baby is born. Thus, we aim to provide the latest diagnostic updates for the “beginning of life“. A compilation of articles covering this topic are being presented in this issue. These include some interesting write-ups on TSH antibodies in pregnancy and newborns, AADC deficiency, radiological screening for cranial anomalies, red cell screening, maternal infections, gestational trophoblastic tumors, and others. 

I hope that you will find this issue interesting and informative. My team will appreciate your valuable opinion and feedback as well as constructive suggestions to make future issues better, more informative, and useful.

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​​Dr Sidra Arshad 

Editor, LabRad ​