Publication Date: 
Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Congenital heart defects cause nearly one-quarter of deaths due to birth defects in infants. Nearly 5,000 babies are born each year with seven specific Critical Congenital Heart Defects or Critical Congenital Heart Disease (CCHD). There is a low-cost, non-invasive screening procedure, called pulse oximetry, that is effective in detecting CCHD. By making this screening mandatory, CCHD could be detected early and follow-ups could be done to improve health.

Chris Walker, of the Network for Public Health Law, shared this Critical Opportunity at the 2012 Public Health Law Conference in Atlanta.

The Critical Opportunities initiative of the Public Health Law Research (PHLR) program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation presents evidence and ideas for proposed legal and policy changes that can positively impact public health challenges. This presenation shares these ideas and evidence, and includes the practical and political feasibility of implementing the proposed changes to laws and policies.