Global Updates on the Advancements in CCHD Screening

Dear Colleagues,

Newborn screening for critical congenital heart defects (CCHDs) using pulse oximetry is now the standard of care in many developed countries around the world. It is a point-of-care screen performed in asymptomatic newborns in hospital nurseries prior to their being discharged home, with some countries having also skillfully adapted it for out-of-hospital home births. Screening works best in identifying at-risk infants when performed in conjunction with prenatal ultrasound and newborn physical assessment.

Screening for CCHDs is an important addition to the newborn screening panel, as CCHDs represent the number one cause of infant deaths due to congenital defects. CCHDs are cardiac defects present at birth that require surgical or cardiac catheterization in the first months of life. Timely detection and intervention prior to hospital discharge improve outcomes and can prevent significant morbidity and mortality due to circulatory collapse.

After screening for over a decade, there is now an increased recognition that significant non-cardiac conditions can also be identified through screening. Data collection and education remain critical in successfully understanding how to improve outcomes. Several investigators have tried to improve the screening process with new technologies or by adding physical examination to the screening process.

This Special Issue of the International Journal of Neonatal Screening, devoted to "Global Updates on the Advancements in CCHD Screening", will present some of examples of how screening algorithms, informed by data, can be refined, will consider how screening can be adapted for local care delivery systems around the world, and will explore future directions and challenges as we strive to improve outcomes for infants born with CCHDs through timely detection.

Dr. Gerard R. Martin
Prof. Lisa A. Wandler
Guest Editors

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• pulse oximetry
• newborn critical congenital heart screening
• newborn screening
• screening algorithms
• point-of-care screen