Guidelines for Critical Congenital Heart Disease (CCHD) Screening in Newborns

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is considered one of the most common birth defects among newborns. Reports in the United States claim that 24% of infant deaths are due to CHD, and that approximately 11.6 per 10,000 babies born per annum have critical CHD (CCHD). Immediate diagnosis, intervention, and treatment are important as infants with CCHD are at significant risk for death or disability. The recommended screening method for CCHD is by using pulse oximetry (PO), which is a test to determine the amount of oxygen in the blood (PO is done using a pulse oximeter, which is a device with sensors placed on the baby’s skin (Fig. 1). The test is not painful and does not take long).