Pulse Oximetry Screening For Babies
Posted: February 17, 2012
You may have heard about a recent legislative proposal to require all states to perform a pulse oximetry screening on newborns after birth. The effort was largely launched by the McCormick family who lost their 5-day-old daughter Cora in 2009 to an undetected heart defect.
What does this new legislation mean and why is it important?
Congenital heart defects are the most common birth defect and the leading cause of death from birth defects during the first year of life, according to Saving Little Hearts, an organization dedicated to helping families of children with heart defects. Pulse Ox Advocacy says only 20 percent of heart defects are caught in utero, or before the baby is born. Right now, when a baby is born, most state laws do not require the hospital to check his heart for any abnormalities. For that reason, many heart defects are missed entirely or diagnosed later when symptoms (like breathlessness or loss of consciousness, for example) present.
The bill, which has been introduced in the state of Tennessee, proposes that all birthing hospitals require a pulse oximetry screening for newborns. The device -- a monitor that they put on the baby's finger or foot - is painless and tests the levels of oxygen saturation. If the baby's oxygen saturation is less than 95 percent, the law would require further testing of the baby's heart to rule out any congenital heart defects.
"This is an excellent example of how the right public policy can work for children and not only produce better outcomes and quality of life, but also help to reduce costs by detecting and addressing problems early," said Maureen O'Connor, director of Public Policy at Le Bonheur. Maureen has advocated at the state level to pass the bill, and Le Bonheur Pediatric Cardiologist Jean Ballweg, MD, has been named a cardiology consultant for state of Tennessee on this issue.
Pulse Ox Advocacy's website offers more information about this initiative, including ways to help advocate for the bill to be passed in your state. It also offers a map that shows which states have introduced the bill or have current legislation that requires some sort of screening.
