2015 -- H 5757

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LC001597

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH SERVICES

FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL HEALTH CARE NEEDS

     Introduced By: Representatives Solomon, Ackerman, and Bennett

     Date Introduced: February 26, 2015

     Referred To: House Health, Education & Welfare

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Chapter 23-13 of the General Laws entitled "Maternal and Child Health

Services for Children with Special Health Care Needs" is hereby amended by adding thereto the

following sections:

     23-13-14.1. Legislative intent. -- Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are structural

abnormalities of the heart that are present at birth; CHDs range in severity from simple problems

such as holes between chambers of the heart, to severe malformations, such as the complete

absence of one or more chambers or valves; critical congenital heart defects (CCHDs) are a

subset of CHDs that cause severe and life-threatening symptoms which require intervention

within the first days, weeks or months of life.

     According to the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services' Advisory

Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children, congenital heart disease affects

approximately seven (7) to nine (9) of every one thousand (1,000) live births in the United States

and Europe. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that CHD is the

leading cause of infant death due to birth defects and that about forty-eight hundred (4,800)

babies born each year have one of seven (7) CCHDs. Current methods for detecting CHDs

generally include prenatal ultra-sound screening and repeated clinical examinations; while

prenatal ultrasound screenings can detect some major CHDs, these screenings, alone, identify less

than half of all CHD cases. CHD cases are often missed during routine clinical exams performed

prior to a newborn's discharge from a birthing facility.

     Pulse oximetry is a non-invasive test that estimates the percentage of hemoglobin in

blood that is saturated with oxygen. When performed on a newborn a minimum of twenty-four

(24) hours after birth, pulse oximetry screening is often more effective at detecting critical, life-

threatening CHDs which otherwise go undetected by current screening methods. Newborns with

abnormal pulse oximetry results require immediate confirmatory testing and intervention or a

referral to an appropriate health care provider for confirmatory testing and follow-up care, based

on the recommendation of the treating health care provider.

     The legislature finds and declares that many newborn lives could potentially be saved by

early detection and treatment of CHDs if birthing facilities in this state were required to perform

this simple, non-invasive newborn screening in conjunction with other CHD screening methods.

     23-13-14.2. Screening of newborns for congenital heart defects required. – (a) As

used in this section, "birthing facility" means an inpatient or ambulatory health care facility

licensed by the department of health that provides birthing and newborn care services.

     (b) The department of health shall require each birthing facility licensed by the

department of health to perform a pulse oximetry screening within twenty-four (24) hours of the

birth of every newborn in its care.

     (c) The director of the department of health shall adopt rules and regulations necessary to

carry out the purpose of this act.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH SERVICES

FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL HEALTH CARE NEEDS

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     This act would require all birthing facilities to perform a pulse oximetry screening within

twenty-four (24) hours of the birth of every newborn in its care.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC001597

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