Title: Pulse Oximetry Screening for Babies
Headings: Pulse Oximetry Screening for Babies
Pulse Oximetry Screening for Babies
How Is a Pulse Oximetry Test Performed?
Is Pulse Oximetry Testing Safe?
Why Is Pulse Oximetry Testing Important?

Content: Therefore, some babies may not show signs of significant congenital heart disease until after they become very sick. If healthcare providers discover a heart problem before a baby becomes ill, then the baby will have a better chance to do well with any necessary surgeries or procedures. Early diagnosis of the heart problem may also prevent damage to other organs that may occur when a baby becomes sick due to congenital heart disease. While pulse oximetry screening cannot rule out all forms of congenital heart disease, it is a good starting point for evaluating many serious types of congenital heart defects. In 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommended the pulse oximetry screening should be included in the routine evaluation that all newborn babies undergo before they are discharged from the hospital after birth. More and more states are adopting this test as a routine procedure to be done on all newborn babies before they go home from the hospital.