Newborn test at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics will screen for heart defects

A new form of newborn screening at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics could save the lives of babies born with heart defects.

Pulse oximetry is a quick, non-invasive way to screen for seven forms of critical congenital heart defects, said Dr. Ben Reinking, a UI pediatric cardiologist.

According to the U.S. Centers for Control and Disease Prevention, about 4,800, or 11.6 babies per 10,000, are born annually with one of the seven congenital heart defects covered under the screening.

Beginning Tuesday, nurses will place sensors on the hands and feet of newborns to check the amount of oxygen in the blood and the baby's pulse rate, Reinking said.

The method, performed within 24 to 48 hours after birth, does not harm the baby and is an inexpensive way to screen for defects, such as transposition of the great arteries, he said.

Low levels of oxygen in the blood can be a sign of one of the disorders.

Reinking noted that some heart defects don't manifest until after a baby is about seven days old and cannot be detected in a typical exam.

“That's when problems develop,” he said. “It goes from looking like a fussy baby to a very sick baby very quickly.”

At that point, the risks of surgery to correct the defect, as well as the risk to the baby's life are compounded.

“If we catch them early, we can prevent that emergency,” Reinking said.

If the screening shows a possible abnormality, additional tests, such an echocardiogram, can be ordered.

Echocardiograms, which use ultrasound to examine the heart, are much more costly than pulse oximetry screening, Reinking said, with a price tag of thousands of dollars vs. a few dollars for pulse oximetry.

Congenital heart defects account for 24 percent of infant deaths due to birth defects, according to the CDC.

Almost 2,000 babies were born at UI Hospitals last year. Reinking said the hospital is piloting the program for Iowa.

Other hospitals will be added before the screenings are performed statewide.

Screenings in states like New Jersey and Wisconsin have been able to detect cases of heart defects, but false positives have also been an issue, he said.