Pulse oximetry newborn screening for congenital heart defects. Is it really useful?

Abstract

Congenital heart diseases (CHDs) are the most common birth defects, occurring in 8–9/1,000 live births and they represent one of the leading cause of infant death in the developed countries. A timely diagnosis is beneficial as even most critical cases can be successfully repaired by cardiac surgery or interventional catheterization procedures or may undergo a satisfactory palliation. Conversely, a delayed diagnosis may expose patients to the detrimental effects of prolonged hypoxia or hypoperfusion, worsen the preoperative condition and ultimately increase the risk of death or neurological sequelae [1]. With the advances in prenatal care many cases of CHDs are nowadays detected before birth. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of antenatal ultrasound screening is still not optimal and the detection rate of CHDs currently does not exceed 70% in the best case series.