Letter to the Editor: Pulse Ox Screening Necessary

Dear Editor:

Thirteen other states now call for babies to be screened for heart defects with a simple test called pulse ox. However, NYS isn’t one of them. That’s why I traveled to Albany last week to urge lawmakers to pass a bill to ensure all babies in NYS are screened for heart defects using pulse ox.

If we can help save a child’s life, shouldn’t we? With pulse ox screening, it really is as simple as that. Pulse Ox is quick and painless, but more importantly, it can save lives.

Pulse ox is a screening that checks a baby’s blood oxygen level through sensors placed on their toe and finger. The results can indicate whether a child has a critical congenital heart defect.

Congenital heart defects (CHD) are the most common birth defect in the U.S. and the leading killer of infants with birth defects. Wider use of pulse ox screening could help identify more than 90 percent of heart defects.

I am encouraging Senator Jack Martins and Assemblywoman Solages to support pulse ox screenings for babies. Now it is time to pass this bill to help all babies have a healthy start in life.

Sincerely,
Carolyn Leder
Rockville Centre Resident