Background: Screening for congenital heart disease is important as it accounts for 20% of the life threatening conditions resulting in Neonatal deaths. This screening programme is implemented in Government Vellore Medical College and Hospital aiming at reducing the morbidity and mortality of critical congenital heart disease.

Objective: Screening the asymptomatic newborns for congenital heart disease using saturation monitoring.

Design: Prospective observational study

Study period: Jan’2016-Dec’2016

Setting: Post Natal wards in a tertiary care Hospital, Government Vellore Medical College and Hospital, Vellore.

Study Subjects: Asymptomatic term newborn babies born in hospital after 48 hours of life.

Result: Of the 11268 babies delivered, 2450 babies were included in the study. Among these babies, 9 had low saturation with mean SpO2 of 78 and standard deviation of 12.7. Out of 9 neonates with low SpO2, 5 were confirmed to have CHD and other 4 found to have non CHD causes (3 PPHN and 1 sepsis). Among the 11268 deliveries, 43 babies had symptomatic CHD with incidence of 1 in 262 babies born.

Conclusion: Screening the New born with saturation Monitor detected 4 critical and 1 non-critical congenital heart diseases out of 2450 with SpO2 Monitor. These babies with critical congenital heart disease underwent corrective cardiac surgeries at tertiary care centre with help of CMCHIS and private partnership. Early Intervention prevented early death as well complications secondary to CHD. Screening for congenital heart disease should be included as a part of newborn assessment and early identification influences outcome.

Keywords: Saturation monitoring, critical congenital heart disease.

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Dr Theranirajan

Professor of Pediatrics, Govt. Vellore Medical College, Vellore

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