Neonatal Pulse Oximeter

Neonatal Pulse Oximeter

A neonatal pulse oximeter is a medical-grade device that monitors an infant's oxygen levels. They're typically connected to a parent's smartphone or tablet, which gives them a continuous reading as well as alerts when the baby's vital signs are too low.

Newborns often have lower than normal oxygen levels in the first few days of life, says Kunjana Mavunda, MD, a pulmonologist at Kidz Medical Services in Florida. This can be caused by a number of factors, including infections or respiratory problems. Using the pulse oximeter can help doctors detect these conditions and ensure that a baby receives proper treatment.

Pulse oximeters measure arterial oxygen saturation by detecting the difference in light absorption between deoxygenated and oxygenated blood.Oxyhemoglobin absorbs red (660 nm) and infrared (940 nm) light differently,allowing the oximeter to detect a change in oxygen saturation.

There are two basic types of oximeters: handheld and fingertip. Handheld devices use a probe that's attached to the skin and a transmitter to send data to a computer. Fingertip devices are a smaller version of handheld devices, and they're usually used for babies who have to be taken care of by an infant nurse or a doctor.

Compared to handheld devices, fingertip oximeters are less accurate at lower oxygen levels. These devices can also be more expensive. Screening with a pulse oximeter is the best way to detect congenital heart defects in newborns, but it's not perfect. The test has a false -positive rate of 0.14%, which means that babies who pass the test may still not have a heart defect.

Screening with a pulse oximeter is the best way to detect congenital heart defects in newborns, but it's not perfect. The test has a false -positive rate of 0.14%, which means that babies who pass the test may still not have a heart defect.

The false-positive rate for CHD is higher in the early hours of life, so if the baby passes a screening test, an echocardiogram should be performed to confirm that there's no heart problem. If the echocardiogram shows that there's a heart problem, a specialist can take an even closer look.

When a baby's oxygen level drops too low, the heart and lungs can't get enough oxygen to the brain and other parts of the body. That's why it's important to make sure that a baby is getting plenty of supplemental oxygen so they can breathe normally again.