A new law in California mandates that all hospitals perform a Pulse Oximetry Screening on newborn babies. Most states offer the screening, but only a few are mandated to perform it.
The screening tests for Critical Congenital Heart Disease (CCHD). CCHD affects about eight out of 1,000 newborns and accounts for up to 10 percent of infant deaths.
Arkansas state legislators have not yet mandated this screening for all newborns, but Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock does offer it.