Why One Mother is Advocating for Blood Oxygen Testing in Newborns

Jessica Hatcher has a message that she wants every mom to hear: make sure your baby receives a pulse oximetry measurement before he leaves the hospital. The test is not invasive - it requires putting a simple device over the baby's foot for about 3-5 minutes while light and a sensor detect oxygen levels in the blood. The test can detect even the most minor of heart defects, which might not normally be found but could be life-threatening. Early detection is the key to better treatment.

Jessica knows how devastating it can be to learn your child has a heart defect, because her son Wyatt was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome in the womb. The doctors offered her limited choices: she could let Wyatt live as long as possible, which might’ve only been a couple days; they could perform surgeries immediately after birth and look for a heart transplant once he was a teenager; or he could receive an immediate heart transplant. She and her husband opted for the surgeries, but Wyatt’s condition worsened and he needed a donor to live. The family waited for about six months before a donor became available and Wyatt was given a new heart before he reached the age of 2. The donor heart is expected to last about 13 years.

As a result of her experience, Jessica is hoping to give back. The mother of three is a mentor to families facing similar heart problems. She is also co-chair of Heart Friends, a group that raises funds for Sibley Heart Center in Georgia.

For more information about the most common birth defect and its detection visit 1in100.org.

Newton mother advocates blood oxygen testing for babies [Rockdale Citizen]

Screening [1in100]