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Heart disease in newborns studied
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THE incidence of congenital heart disease was over 2 percent in newborn babies in Shanghai last year and over 10 percent of such babies suffered serious congenital heart disease, which is one of major causes for the death of newborn babies and infants, according to a study.
But early treatment of this disease will not only save the newborns but also help save the government’s budget for medical care, the chief expert of the study said.
Experts from the Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, which led a project to assess, diagnose and evaluate congenital heart disease in newborns, released the findings yesterday.
Twenty hospitals in 11 provincial areas participated in the three-year study of a simple and effective screening method on newborns with congenital heart disease, the most prevalent congenital defect in China.
By checking the newborn’s pulse oximetry (oxygen level in the blood) and clinical assessment, the screening method was able to discover over 90 percent of children born with the disease, especially with serious conditions.
The screening found 262 in every 10,000 newborn babies in Shanghai had congenital heart disease last year and 35 in every 10,000 had serious conditions requiring surgery within one year.
This screening, which is done within 72 hours after delivery, can also identify children with minor heart problems that cause no symptoms and don’t need surgery.
“The early ... treatment for congenital heart disease is not only good for patients but also helps relieve the government’s medical burden,” said Huang Guoying, president of the hospital and chief expert of the program. “Every 1 yuan (16 US cents) spent on early screening can save 6 yuan in treatment.”
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