Critical Congenital Heart Disease Screening

Office of Children With Special Health Care Needs

Critical Congenital Heart Disease Screening

Critical Congenital Heart Disease (CCHD) Screening establishes a statewide universal screening in newborns using pulse oximetry.

Utah CCHD Screening

Critical Congenital Heart Disease (CCHD) affects the lives and families of approximately 10,000 babies born in the United States every year. While many of these babies may be identified by either a prenatal ultrasound or the newborn exam, some of these babies will appear perfectly healthy. To prevent serious morbidity and mortality resulting from missed or delayed diagnosis of CCHD, all newborns in Utah are required to be screened for CCHD using pulse oximetry which became effective October 1, 2014.

It is estimated that more than 100 babies are born in Utah with one of these CCHD diagnoses each year. Typically, these types of heart defects lead to low levels of oxygen in a newborn and may be identified using pulse oximetry screening at least 24 hours after birth.

Some specific types of CCHDs are listed below. Babies with CCHD need surgery or other procedures in the first year of life. Other heart defects can be just as severe as CCHDs and may also require treatment soon after birth.