But is she healthy? It's time for pulse oximetry.

 

When a baby is born, all parents check to make sure their child is healthy…Ten fingers, ten toes. Brown eyes, dad’s nose…

But is she healthy?

It’s time for pulse oximetry.

When a baby is born, there is so much to be excited about. Is it a boy or a girl? Who does she look like? What color is his hair? But at the end of the day, parents just want a healthy baby.

If we can help save a child’s life, shouldn’t we? With pulse oximetry screening, it really is as simple as that.

It’s quick and painless, but more importantly, it can save lives. Before a baby leaves the hospital, the test helps identify heart defects, potentially saving its life. Despite this, pulse ox is not required in all states, allowing thousands of parents to take their child home without knowing the condition of their heart.

We need pulse oximetry now!

But don’t just take our word for it. The evidence speaks for itself: Wider use of pulse ox screening could help identify more than 90 percent of heart defects.

And in case you need more convincing: Congenital heart defects (CHD), are the most common birth defect in the U.S. and the leading killer of infants with birth defects. And they cost money: In 2004, hospital costs for all individuals with CHD totaled $2.6 billion.

Several states have already passed laws requiring newborns to have pulse ox screenings prior to being discharged from the hospital. In New Jersey, just hours after their law took effect, a newborn’s life was saved.

It’s time to ensure our children have healthy hearts. It’s time to make pulse oximetry a requirement for all babies. But we need your help. You can be a part of the movement to make pulse ox a requirement for every newborn in our state.   What do you think? Let us know by posting a comment.

 

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