Pulse Oximetry Screening of Newborn for Critical Congenital Heart Disease in Developing Countries

Abstract

Congenital heart disease is the most commonly diagnosed congenital anomaly in the neonatal period. It has been proved by studies that neonatal examination and murmur are not reliable signs in newborns and we may miss underlying heart problems. If routine neonatal screening is not undertaken, there is a 25% possibility of missing congenital heart disease and 40% of these cases may present with shock and circulatory collapse in the hospital in the subsequent days. As the delay in diagnosis may increase the neonatal mortality so all newborn babies must be screened before discharge. All babies who failed pulse oximetry threshold of less than 95% must be screened by preductal and post ductal pulse oximetry as underlying hypoxaemia may be missed clinically. Many studies have proven that if a newborn is screened within the first week, the chances of missing cardiac problems drop dramatically, to less than 30%. Seeing the burden and severity of this illness, it is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association that neonatal screening should be done in all developed, affordable countries. This article aimed at making physicians and policymakers in developing countries aware of the need to detect critical heart disease at the right time and addresses to implement policies so that intervention can be done timely to prevent neonatal mortality.