2013 Challenges

Take on Challenges
by Implementing Recipes

Challenge #6: Failure to Detect Critical Congenital Heart Disease (CCHD)

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect, affecting about 8 in 1,000 live born infants. Nearly 40,000 infants are born with CHD per year in the US; and some 1.3 million globally.1 About fifty percent of CCHD deaths have been attributed to late or missed diagnosis. It is estimated that 2,000 infants/year die or have missed diagnosis in the US and some 65,000 infants/year die or have missed diagnosis globally.2,3

  1. Hoffman JIE, Kaplan S. The incidence of congenital heart disease. J Am Coll Cardiol 2002; 39:1890–1900.
  2. de-Wahl Granelli A, Wennergren M, Sandberg K, Mellander M, Bejlum C, Inganäs L, Eriksson M, Segerdahl. Impact of pulse oximetry screening on the detection of duct dependent congenital heart disease: a Swedish prospective screening study in 39,821 newborns. BMJ. 2009; 338:a3037.
  3. Ewer AK, Middleton LJ, Furmston AT, et al. Pulse oximetry as a screening test for congenital heart defects in newborn infants (PulseOx): a test accuracy study. Lancet 2011; 378:785–794.