Screening for your baby
We do some tests to make sure babies have the best start in life. Learn how the tests are done, what to expect and how they help your baby.
Critical congenital heart disease
Critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) means the heart or major blood vessels did not form correctly before birth. This means the heart may not work well.
A baby with CCHD may not have enough oxygen in the blood. The body needs oxygen to grow and be healthy.
Problems caused by CCHD
CCHD is different for each baby but needs urgent care. Some babies with CCHD may have:
- fast, difficult breathing
- grunting sounds with breaths
- bluish colouring of lips
- poor eating
- extreme sleepiness
- heart murmur
Screening
All babies are screened for CCHD between 24 to 36 hours of age or as close to when they leave the hospital as possible.
Pulse oximetry test
This test measures oxygen in the blood. A small sensor is placed on the baby’s right hand and one foot.
Other tests
If the pulse oximetry test shows low blood oxygen , your baby may have CCHD or other problems. We may order other tests for your baby, such as:
- heart ultrasound (also called an echocardiogram or heart echo)
- blood tests
- chest x-ray
- tests for infection
Treatment
Babies with CCHD should see their family doctor and a doctor who specializes in children with heart disease (pediatric cardiologist). Your baby’s care team will talk with you about treatment, if needed.
Types of treatment
Treating CCHD right away helps most babies with CCHD live healthy lives.
Treatment can include:
- medicine
- medical procedures
- surgery
Early hearing detection and intervention
Permanent hearing loss is one of the most common conditions in newborns. Even if a baby respond to sounds, they may not hear well enough to develop speech and language. Having your baby’s hearing tested soon after birth is the best way to find hearing loss early and help your baby build speech, language and learning skills.
Babies are never too young to have their hearing checked. Alberta’s Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program is a province-wide service that identifies permanent hearing loss as early as possible.
How it is done
While your baby is quiet or sleeping, soft sounds are played into your baby’s ears and a computer measures how your baby is hearing sound. This test is quick, safe and won’t hurt your baby.
When it is done
We will test your baby’s hearing soon after birth. It may happen before your baby goes home from the hospital or at a community screening site.
You will get the test results as soon as the screening is done. The result of the test is pass or refer. A pass means that your baby is hearing well on the day of the screening. It is a good idea to monitor your baby’s hearing, even after a pass result.
Other tests
If your baby’s test result is a refer, your baby will need to go for a special hearing test for hearing loss. This test is done by a pediatric audiologist (a health care provider who specializes in children’s hearing).
Most babies who need further testing are found to have normal hearing, but some have hearing loss.
Adapted from ‘Alberta Health Services Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (2018, November).