14/02/2023
In 2022, a study added to our knowledge that Black preterm babies are more at risk of inaccurate pulse oximeter readings than white preterm babies.
A pulse oximeter is a small electronic machine which can be clipped onto someone’s body (often onto their finger) to measure the oxygen saturation in their blood.
The machine sends light through the nail, skin, tissue and blood, and the amount of light that reaches the other side can give a calculation of the oxygen saturation in the blood.
This measurement helps midwives, doctors, nurses and other health professionals to assess a person’s wellbeing.
But we know that some things can affect the accuracy of pulse oximeter readings, and having darker skin is one of these.
In a better world, we would have been researching alternatives for people with darker skin for decades now.
In a better world, more health professionals and birth workers would know not to rely on pulse oximetry in Black and Brown bodied people, especially if other signs indicate cause for concern.
The study was published in the Journal of Perinatology.
It looked at pulse oximetry in babies born before or at 32 weeks of gestation. This is important because most of the previous studies have looked at adults.
The researchers found that, “There is a modest but consistent difference in SpO2 [oxygen saturation] error between Black and White infants, with increased incidence of occult hypoxemia [undiagnosed low blood oxygen level] in Black infants.” (Vesoulis et al 2022).
I'm sharing this again because it's vital that more people understand these issues.
Details at: Vesoulis Z et al. Racial discrepancy in pulse oximeter accuracy in preterm infants. J Perinat https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-021-01230-3
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