If we can help save a child's life, shouldn't we?

 

If we can help save a child’s life, shouldn’t we? With a simple pulse oximetry screening, it really is as simple as that.  It’s time for New York to make pulse oximetry a requirement for all babies.

It’s quick, painless and inexpensive, but more importantly, it can save lives. Before a newborn leaves the hospital, a routine pulse oximetry test – a small clip hooked to a finger or toe to measure the amount of oxygen in the blood – helps identify heart defects, potentially saving a life. Despite this, pulse ox is not required in New York, allowing thousands of parents to take their child home without knowing the condition of their heart.

Congenital heart defects (CHD), are the most common birth defect in the U.S. and the leading killer of infants with birth defects. Wider use of pulse ox screening could help identify more than 90 percent of heart defects, making the argument for it pretty self-evident.

Many 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 for New York to do its part. And we are getting closer but we need your help.  Visit the Action Center and take action today.  You're voice can make the difference.

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