Pulse Ox Screening

Pulse Oximetry Screening is a test that checks your newborn baby's blood oxygen levels and can identify some infants with a Critical Congenital Heart Defect (CCHD) before they start to show signs. Some babies born with a heart defect may appear healthy and are sent home and are at risk of having serious complications that often require emergency care. This screening does not detect all CCHDs but it detects the main ones, and it's a good start.

This screening is not standard practice in all hospitals. The state of California recently passed a law in October of 2012 to have every newborn delivered in a birthing facility, be given the test, starting July 1, 2013.

For more information, please visit the following websites:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Newborn Screening for CCHD
American Heart Association - You're the Cure
Facebook - Check Their Hearts: Support Pulse Oximetry Screening for Heart Defects