Screening for Newborn Heart Defects Soon Mandatory in Two States

Currently only about half of all heart defects are detected prenatally. With about 1 in 100 babies born with a heart defect, that means thousands of congenital heart defects aren't found until after birth. A simple pulse oximetry screening can find some of those defects, some estimates guess that about half of the most serious could be found with pulse oximetry screening.

Two states have passed legislation making pulse oximetry screening for newborns mandatory--New Jersey and Indiana. New Jersey will begin screening babies in 2011 while Indiana will start screening every baby in January, 2012. Legislation in both states passed this year.

Pulse oximetry measures the oxygen saturation in the blood using a non-invasive light sensor. The screening is also painless to the baby and takes only a few moments. It's a cheap piece of equipment currently available in every newborn nursery. Should the reading be low, further examination such as an echo might be ordered.

Undiagnosed heart problems can lead to death or further health problems like brain damage. Finding the defects earlier means outcomes are better for those children.

Other states seem poised to follow Indiana and New Jersey. Bills mandating pulse ox screening are currently pending in Pennsylvania, New York and Tennessee. Maryland has passed a bill that makes pulse oximetry standard as soon as federal recommendation is given.

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