Accuracy of Pulse Oximetry Screening for Critical Congenital Heart Defects after Home Birth and Early Postnatal Discharge.

Objective: To assess the accuracy of pulse oximetry screening for critical congenital heart defects (CCHDs) in a setting with home births and early discharge after hospital deliveries, by using an adapted protocol fitting the work patterns of community midwives.

Study Design: Pre- and postductal oxygen saturations (SpO) were measured ≥1 hour after birth and on day 2 or 3. Screenings were positive if the SpO measurement was <90% or if 2 independent measures of pre- and postductal SpO were <95% and/or the pre-/postductal difference was >3%.

Pulse Oximetry Screening for Critical Congenital Heart Disease after Home Birth and Early Discharge.

Objectives: To assess the feasibility of pulse oximetry (PO) screening in settings with home births and very early discharge. We assessed this with an adapted protocol in The Netherlands.

Study Design: PO screening was performed in the Leiden region in hospitals and by community midwives.

Adapted protocol for pulse oximetry screening for congenital heart defects in a country with homebirths.

Unlabelled: Pulse oximetry has been recommended for neonatal screening for critical congenital heart defects (CCHD) and is now performed in several countries where most births take place in hospital. However, there is a wide variation in perinatal care in European countries, and studies are now recommended to determine the accuracy and cost-effectiveness of CCHD screening in individual countries. In the Netherlands, a large part of births are supervised by a community-based midwife, at home or at policlinics.