Newborn CCHD Screening Program | KDHE Newborn Screening & Surveillance

Program Overview

Congenital heart disease is the most common type of birth defect and accounts for nearly 30 percent of infant deaths. When a newborn is at least a day old, a health professional performs a quick and simple test known as pulse oximetry by placing sensors on the newborn’s hand and foot to measure the amount of oxygen in the blood. Pulse oximetry screening is non-invasive, painless and takes just a few minutes. This test helps identify newborns who may have critical congenital heart disease (CCHD).

Prenatal ultrasounds can sometimes detect CCHD, but not all cases can be detected before birth. Without screening shortly after birth, babies with CCHD are sometimes sent home without the care they need because they appear healthy. These babies can develop serious health problems after coming home and often require emergency care. However, pulse oximetry screening targets seven specific birth defects classified as CCHD. If CCHD is detected early, infants can be treated and lead healthier lives.

Kansas CCHD Newborn Screening Program provides the surveillance of the screening, follow-up, and referrals to Special Health Care Needs and Kansas Early Childhood Developmental Services to ensure families receive intervention services and resources.

Who We Are

Detecting critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) shortly after birth can prevent serious health problems and complications later in life. If CCHD is detected early, infants can be treated and lead healthier lives. Kansas CCHD provides the surveillance of the screening, follow-up, and referrals to Special Health Care Needs and Kansas Early Childhood Developmental Services to ensure families receive intervention services and resources.

Conditions We Screen For

Primary targets are those conditions most likely to be detected by pulse oximetry screening, such as:

Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome

Pulmonary Atresia

Tetralogy of Fallot

Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return

Transposition of the Great Arteries

Tricuspid Atresia

Truncus Arteriosus

Secondary targets are conditions that can potentially be detected by pulse oximetry screening. They include:

Double Outlet Right Ventricle (DORV)

Ebstein’s Anomaly

Coarctation of the Aorta

Interruption of the Aortic Arch

Hypoplasia of the Aortic Arch

Aortic Atresia

Single Ventricle

Pulse oximetry may detect other cardiac or non cardiac conditions that cause newborns to have low oxygen, such as persistent pulmonary hypertension and bacterial infection.