Field’s Story: A Simple Test

Our son, Field, was born in June of 2010.  We had experienced a healthy and normal pregnancy and we were joyfully expecting the same in our newborn days with our son.  I had 2 ultrasounds during my pregnancy and each time everything checked out perfectly.  I also did extra screenings and testing through a perinatologist and all of the results were normal.  The day after he was born, our nurse was doing a simple and basic vitals check on Field when she noticed his oxygen saturation levels were low.  She had used a pulse oximetry to check these levels, which was not required nor expected at the time.  Thankfully, our nurse went above and beyond her duty and decided to check Field’s O2 levels only to find they were not normal.  She sent him down to the newborn nursery for observation.  After a few days of watching these O2 levels, chest x-rays were ordered and antibiotics were given to treat what they thought was an infection in the NICU.  Finally, an echocardiogram of Field’s heart was ordered due to a heart murmur that they heard while listening to his heart.  This is when they found that Field has a complex congenital heart defect.  The whole experience of finding out about Field’s heart was a complete whirlwind and a very frightening and emotional time for us.  A pediatric cardiologist and a pediatric congenital heart surgeon immediately met with me and my husband to explain that our sweet little newborn would have to endure 3 heart surgeries in his lifetime to make his heart functional.  The first would be at 3 weeks of age, the second around 6 months, and the third would be between the age of 3-4 years old.  What an overwhelming amount of information to absorb!

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I am thrilled to tell you all, that after 2 heart surgeries, one heart cath, and more medical check-ups than I can count, we have a healthy, thriving, and very smart pre-schooler.  Field has surpassed all expectations and continues to be a wonderful blessing to our lives and many others too.

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It frightens me to think about what would have happened if that nurse had not checked Field’s O2 levels with the pulse ox machine.  We probably would have gone home a day later with what we thought was a healthy newborn.  We were new parents and we would most likely not have known the signs of heart failure.

My hope is that hospitals all over our country will begin using this simple newborn screening to help detect these major heart problems.

In June 2013, legislation requiring Critical Congenital Heart Disease screening for all newborns in Texas was signed into law. Moving forward, all birthing facilities in Texas will soon be required to implement their own protocol for CCHD screening.  It is astounding to me that every year, 4,800 babies are born with Critical Congenital Heart Disease, making it the leading cause of death for babies under the age of 1.

So, what can you do to make sure you are well-informed on your baby’s heart health?

A simple, pain-free screening test can be performed any time after 24 hours of age before you leave the hospital.  It is the exact screening that detected our son’s heart problem.  A narrow tape with a small sensor is placed on the outside of the baby’s hand or foot to measure how much oxygen is in the blood.  The numbers shown on the pulse ox will alert medical professionals if further evaluation is needed.

We recently had our second child and I am thrilled to tell you that our nurse at the Methodist Hospital in San Antonio informed me that they now do a pulse ox screening on all newborns.  But regardless of where you deliver, be sure to ask that they check your baby’s oxygen levels before you leave the hospital.

Pulse oximetry screening is currently standard at some hospitals but not at all.  Pulse oximetry doesn’t detect all defects, but it’s the first step in screening your baby and picking up the most severe.  You can easily request that your nurse does this simple test on your baby before you leave the hospital so that you can rest well knowing your baby’s heart is healthy.  Here’s to good heart health!


Lisa JohnsonLisa has deep roots in San Antonio where she was born and raised. She ventured not too far up I-35 North for college at The University of Texas at Austin where she met her husband, Brad, who coincidentally grew up in San Antonio as well. They have been married for 5 years and they share a love for mexican food, trips to the Texas coast, and UT football. Her son, Field (3 years old), made her a mama and she recently gave birth to her daughter, Margaret Ann, who is almost one month old. Lisa works part-time as a counselor for a local pediatric specialist but most days you can find her trying to keep up with her active preschooler and now newborn baby girl.

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2 COMMENTS

  1. What a blesssing that the nurse went above and beyond, I would be forever grateful. So glad to hear that times are changing and that good protocols are being put into place.

  2. Thank you so much for sharing Field’s story, Lisa, and for the information about the newborn screenings. I had no idea that these were not necessary. What a blessing he is and I hope you and your sweet family of four are doing well!

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