Newborn Screening Awareness Month

 

Guest Blogger: Nicole Olmstead, Gov. Relations Director, Arizona

September is Newborn Screening Awareness month and we thought it would be a great time to highlight the wonderful progress Arizona has made in newborn screening.  It has been almost 18 months since the pulse oximetry (pulse ox) bill was passed and 3 months since full implementation of pulse ox screening for congenital heart disease in Arizona. 

For the past three months, all newborns, regardless of where they are born, have been screened for CHD using the simple pulse ox test.  This test can catch children with critical congenital heart disease before an emergency happens.  Midwives, birth centers, and hospitals are required to report those children at risk of CCHD to the Arizona Department of Health Services.  The Arizona Department of Health Services then follows up on those children to ensure they are receiving follow up care.  Newborn screening for diseases, including CCHD, saves lives and can improve the quality of life for these littlest Arizona residents if caught early.  We are so proud that Arizona has added the pulse ox screening to the list of required tests. 

Healthy babies are Why.

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