Pulse Oximetry for newborns has been in the news over the last year and we couldn’t be happier to see the progress! The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is part of an advisory committee that makes recommendations for what disorders will be part of the mandatory screening for all newborns in the United States. This past September this committee recommended pulse oximetry to be a mandatory test for all newborns. Pulse Oximetry is a painless and quick test that would pick up on one of the seven Critical Congenital Heart Defects (CCHD). These defects include: hypoplastic left heart syndrome, pulmonary atresia (with intact septum), tetralogy of Fallot, total anomalous pulmonary venous return, transposition of the great arteries, tricuspid atresia, and truncus arteriosus. According to the CDC, approximately 280 infants with unrecognized CCHD will be discharged from the hospital each year. These babies are at risk for having life-threatening problems within the first few days or weeks of life and often require emergency care.
To read more: http://www.cdc.gov/features/CongenitalHeartDefects/
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