Screening for clinical conditions associated with hypoxaemia in newborns using pulse oximetry: Protocol for an exploratory cost-effectiveness decision analytic model

A pulse oximeter—the small clip placed on a newborn’s foot—could become a routine screening tool for a range of hidden conditions that starve babies of oxygen. Currently, pulse oximetry (PO) screening is not standard practice across the UK for all newborns. This matters because low blood oxygen (hypoxaemia) is a common sign of several serious but treatable conditions, including critical congenital heart disease, sepsis, and persistent pulmonary hypertension. Without screening, these conditions can be missed until a baby becomes critically ill. The research aims to give the UK National Screening Committee the robust economic evidence it needs to decide whether to introduce PO screening nationwide. If the modelling shows screening is cost-effective, the impact could be straightforward: more babies would be diagnosed earlier, treated sooner, and avoid severe complications or death. The change would be invisible to most families—just a few extra seconds with a sensor—but it would quietly improve the safety net for every newborn in the country. If the model finds screening is not cost-effective, the research will still clarify where future studies or data collection would be most valuable, preventing wasted effort on unproven programmes.