Donation to Larbert hospital will help save baby lives

Charity Tiny Tickers has donated five new pulse oximetry machines to Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert.

These simple monitors, that can help detect serious heart conditions soon after birth, will be used alongside the hospital’s existing monitors to help improve early detection rates of congenital heart disease.

They are the first machines donated in Scotland as part of the charity’s Test for Tommy campaign which aims to ensure that all newborns receive the test that could help save their life.

Robbie Duffy, NHS Forth Valley Service Manager and Senior Midwife, said: “We were already aware of Tiny Tickers because of their work and training within the field of heart defects and were delighted to accept their donation of additional oximeters for use within our local Maternity Unit.”

A baby is born with a serious heart condition every two hours in the UK.

However, not all congenital heart defects can be detected during routine prenatal scanning and some babies are at risk of falling into the early stage of heart failure if their condition is not diagnosed in time. Tiny Tickers, the national charity that aims to improve early detection, diagnosis and care of babies with eart conditions, wants to change this situation in the UK.

Jon Arnold, chief executive from Tiny Tickers, said: “We are truly delighted that we are able to help in this way and hope that it supports the team to continue to provide the best possible care for babies on the unit.”