Tests for Congenital Heart Defects Knowing the Baby

A study reported in the medical magazine The Lancet on 20 055 newborns showed that the oxygen in the blood test to find out more successful congenital heart defects compared with other tests.

The researchers have called for a test of oxygen in hospitals in England. While the British Heart Foundation says this test can provide a real difference for the cases of the unknown.

In this test the doctor at six maternity hospitals in the UK using pulse oximeters, the technology has existed for 20 years to detect levels of oxygen in the blood. If the result is too low or varies between the hands and feet, then further tests should be performed.

This examination takes about 5 minutes and find as many as 75 percent of the most serious heart defects. Whereas if the test is combined with the traditional method that detected cases as much as 92 percent.

"These results add to the value of existing screening procedure and may be useful to identify cases of critical congenital heart defects," said Dr Andrew Ewer, chief researcher at the University of Birmingham, as quoted by BBC News, Monday (08/08/2011).

Congenital heart defects who have babies can be a hole between the chambers of the heart or it could be a defect in the valve. This condition can be detected at the time of ultrasound during pregnancy or after birth listening to the heartbeat.

Not all babies born with congenital heart defects have any signs or symptoms, so it is possible the problem is not detected. Though early detection and fast can be key in improving survival.