Why check the blood oxygen level with pulse oximetry?
A low oxygen saturation level may indicate the presence of a heart defect. What are the benefits of the screening? Babies are less likely to be sent home with unidentified heart problems – some of which can cause acute, emergency situations or even death. If identified in the first 24-48 hours of life, medical teams are available for diagnosis and treatment of CHDs. Critical congenital heart defects, requiring immediate treatment or repair, can be performed before discharge from the hospital. Will screening find all types of heart defects? No current screening tool exists to detect CHDs 100 percent of the time. Pulse oximetry screening should detect most heart defects (those associated with a low blood oxygen level). However, some heart detects may not be found on screening (those not associated with a low blood oxygen level). What will happen if a baby has a low blood oxygen level? The pulse oximetry test will be done again. If the level is still lower than expected, then an echocardi
