What’s the difference between CHD & CCHD?
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a problem with the structure of your baby’s heart that is present at birth. It is a very common birth defect. CHD can affect normal blood flow to the heart. Critical Congenital Heart Disease (CCHD) represents a group of severe heart defects that can cause potentially fatal, life-threatening symptoms. This is much more rare and affects approximately 18 out of every 10,000 newborn babies.
What are some signs & symptoms of CCHD?
Although babies with CCHD may appear healthy for the first few hours/days of life, signs and symptoms soon become apparent. These include:
Pale or blue skin (cyanosis)
Tachypnea/tachycardia
Heart murmur
Fatigues easily
Sweats
Fussy and difficult to console
What is pulse oximetry?
A simple test can help identify if your baby may be affected with CCHD before he is discharged home. This test measures how much oxygen is in your baby’s blood. A baby has to be at least 24-hours old in order for the results to be accurate.
How is it performed?
This test is completely painless and only takes a couple of minutes. It is performed by placing a probe/sensor on your baby’s right hand (preductal) and either of his/her feet (postductal). The pulse oximeter reads the amount of oxygen in the blood right away.
What if the test is abnormal?
A normal reading equals >95% oxygenation with a difference of <3% between the hand and foot. This is considered “NEGATIVE” for CCHD. An abnormal reading is where the oxygen is <90% with a difference of >3% between the hand and foot. This is considered “POSITIVE” for CCHD and further testing and examining is required.
More information can be found at:
https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/PEHDIC/Pages/Newborn-Screening-for-CCHD.aspx