Screening Newborns for Congenital Heart Disease Lowers Infant Cardiac Deaths

Infant cardiac deaths can be reduced by following statewide policies to screen newborns for the most critical congenital heart defects.

Screening newborns for congenital heart disease has drastically decreased infant cardiac deaths, reveals a new study.

Congenital heart disease accounted for 6 percent of U.S. infant deaths from 1999 to 2006. In 2011, critical congenital heart disease was added to the U.S.

‘Using statewide policies can reduce U.S. infant mortality by screening newborns for congenital heart disease.’

Recommended Uniform Screening Panel for newborns but it is not known if the policy requiring screen for the most serious defects is associated with lower infant death rates.

Infants who were born between 2007 and 2013 were included in the study.

Before-after comparison of early infant deaths (between 24 hours and 6 months of age) from critical congenital heart disease or other congenital cardiac causes in states with mandatory vs nonmandatory screening policies.

Congenital Heart Disease – Septal Defects
Heart diseases that are present at birth are called “ Congenital heart diseases”.

As of June 2013, eight states had implemented mandatory screening policies, five states had voluntary screening policies, and nine states had adopted but not yet implemented mandates.

This is an observational study. Researchers are not intervening for purposes of the study so they cannot control natural differences that could explain the study findings.

Cyanotic Heart Disease - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment
Cyanotic heart disease is a group of congenital heart defects which occurs due to deoxygenated blood bypassing the lungs and entering the systemic circulation.

The authors of this study were Rahi Abouk, Ph.D., William Paterson University, Wayne, New Jersey, and coauthors.

There was a decrease in estimated infant cardiac death rates for states that implemented mandatory screening policies compared to states that did not.

Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Patent Ductus Arteriosus is a congenital defect of the heart where the fetal passage between pulmonary artery and aorta remains open and causes excess pulmonary blood flow.

Estimates of death rates were imprecise because of the small number of deaths and the small number of states with fully implemented screening mandates.

The findings support the use of statewide policies requiring newborn critical congenital heart disease screening as one means to reduce U.S. infant mortality.

The editorial, "The Success of State Newborn Screening Policies for Critical Congenital Heart Disease," by Alex R. Kemper, M.D., M.P.H., M.S., of Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, and coauthors.

Source-Eurekalert