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Critical Congenital Heart Disease

Pulse OX MIBecause Every Baby Deserves a Healthy Start 

Congenital heart defects are the most common group of birth defects, affecting 9 in 1000 newborns.  Critical congenital heart diseases (CCHD) are those requiring surgery or catheter intervention in the first year of life.  CCHDs remain one of the most significant causes of infant death in the United States.              
                                                

Newborn Pulse Oximetry Screening for CCHD


Effective April 1, 2014, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has implemented statewide screening of all Michigan newborns for critical congenital heart disease using pulse oximetry prior to hospital discharge.  The Newborn Screening Program and the CCHD Advisory Committee recommend that newborns be screened prior to hospital discharge, as close to 24 hours of age as possible, using the approved MDHHS CCHD Screening Algorithm.