Iowa will begin requiring all hospitals in the state to screen newborns for congenital heart defects using pulse oximetry.
Pulse oximetry is a low-cost, highly-effective and painless bedside test that looks for life-threatening heart defects that might otherwise go undetected. It can be completed in as little as 45 seconds at less than $4 per baby, according to the American Heart Association. It tests blood oxygen levels using sensors placed on a newborn’s hand and foot.
