Blue baby is a term used to describe a newborn infant whose skin appears blue. The condition of having bluish skin is called cyanosis. It occurs when the blood contains a less than normal amount of oxygen. Although many disorders can cause cyanosis, a blue baby has this condition because of an abnormality of the heart. Abnormalities that cause cyanosis in babies include defective heart valves, holes between the chambers of the heart, heart chambers that are too small to circulate blood properly, and defects or blockages in the blood vessels that connect with the heart.
Normally, blood that contains carbon dioxide returns from the body to the right side of the heart. It is then sent to the lungs, where oxygen replaces the carbon dioxide. This oxygenated blood returns from the lungs to the left side of the heart and is pumped to all parts of the body. But in a blue baby, the defective heart allows some unoxygenated blood to be pumped through the body. Thus, the baby’s blood has a lower-than-normal oxygen content, and the skin takes on a bluish color.
Most blue babies need heart surgery to correct their condition. Some recover with the use of medication. About 80 per cent of all blue babies recover fully.
