The Costa Rican Social Security authority started implementing the pulse-oximetry screening tests in 28 health establishments for the detection of congenital heart conditions in newborn babies.

The application of this screening test began in August of 2016 and so far 16 cases have been detected, out of which, two are severe and have required the intervention of specialized teams of the Costa Rica Children’s Hospital.

Jorge Enrique Faerron, cardiologist at the Children’s Hospital explained that the pulse-oximetry test, measures the level of oxygen saturation in the newborn in just a few seconds; if the test results are altered it could indicate the presence of a congenital heart condition or pulmonary affections, which in some cases can put the newborn’s life at risk.

All kids born prematurely or at term of 35 weeks in the different hospitals have to be screen tested between 12 and 36 hours after bring born, and in the event of any suspicion the baby has to be hospitalized and be placed under observation by specialists to confirm or discard the diagnosis.

The Costa Rican Social Security authority (CCSS) invested approximately $33 million in 2016 to purchase the necessary equipment for 28 health establishments to perform the screen testing. This test is performed also in the United States, Canada and some European countries.

Congenital heart conditions are the most common malformation in Costa Rica, present in between one or two out of every one thousand children born. These babies are apparently healthy, but their symptoms begin to appear shortly after their birth.