AN ACT

 

1Amending the act of September 9, 1965 (P.L.497, No.251),
2entitled, as amended, "An act requiring physicians, hospitals
3and other institutions to administer or cause to be
4administered tests for genetic diseases upon infants in
5certain cases," providing for congenital heart defects
6screening.

7The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:

8(1) Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are structural
9abnormalities of the heart that are present at birth. CHDs
10range in severity from simple problems such as holes between
11chambers of the heart, to severe malformations, such as
12complete absence of one or more chambers or valves. Some
13critical CHDs can cause severe and life-threatening symptoms
14which require intervention within the first days of life.

15(2) According to the United States Secretary of Health
16and Human Services' Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders
17in Newborns and Children, congenital heart disease affects
18approximately seven to nine of every 1,000 live births in the
19United States and Europe. The Federal Centers for Disease
20Control and Prevention states that CHD is the leading cause

1of infant death due to birth defect.

2(3) Current methods for detecting CHDs generally include
3prenatal ultrasound screening and repeated clinical
4examinations. While prenatal ultrasound screenings can detect
5some major congenital heart defects, these screenings, alone,
6identify less than half of all CHD cases, and critical CHD
7cases are often missed during routine clinical exams
8performed prior to a newborn's discharge from a birthing
9facility.

10(4) Pulse oximetry is a noninvasive test that estimates
11the percentage of hemoglobin in blood that is saturated with
12oxygen. When performed on a newborn a minimum of 24 hours
13after birth, pulse oximetry screening is often more effective
14at detecting critical, life-threatening CHDs, which otherwise
15go undetected by current screening methods. Newborns with
16abnormal pulse oximetry results require immediate
17confirmatory testing and intervention.

18(5) Many newborn lives could potentially be saved by
19earlier detection and treatment of CHDs if birthing
20facilities in this Commonwealth were required to perform this
21simple, noninvasive newborn screening in conjunction with
22current CH screening methods.

23Section 4.1 of the act shall be known and may be cited as the
24James Matthew Mannix section.

25The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
26hereby enacts as follows:

27Section 1. The act of September 9, 1965 (P.L.497, No.251),
28known as the Newborn Child Testing Act, is amended by adding a
29section to read:

30Section 4.1. Congenital Heart Defects (CHDs) Screening.--The

1department shall require each health care provider that provides
2birthing and newborn care services to perform a pulse oximetry
3screening a minimum of 24 hours after birth on every newborn
4child in its care.

5Section 2. This act shall take effect in 90 days.