Blue baby is a medical condition called cyanosis. At the time of birth some babies are said to be blue baby whose tongue, nails, lips are blue in colour. Such babies have oxygen deficiency and there is the presence of deoxygenated haemoglobin in blood.
Usually blue baby or cyanosis is caused due to serious heart problem, lungs problem and even due to haemoglobin. Such babies need precise and timely medication. The emerging case is termed as congenital cyanotic heart disease. It is usually a group of ailments rather than a single one where baby is born blue with heart problem.
How to identify blue baby syndrome
The following points help in identifying whether the baby is suffering from blue baby syndrome.
- Breathing difficulty
- Baby’s fingers and lips turn out to be blue
- Fast breathing
- With each breath chest is moving up and down
- Baby’s Uncontrolled crying
- Baby is very cold
- Abnormal heart sound
- Pulse is not good
Some kids also suffer from cyanosis after they become 2-3 months old and the signs are as follows.
- A child may become blue after the age of 3 months.
- Baby can walk only for a short distance and then sits in squatting position.
- Frequent drowsiness.
- Baby getting fits after continuous crying or exertion.
- Baby suffering from joint pains.
- Swollen finger tips.
- Frequent fever and head ache.
Heart diseases in children with cyanosis
The common heart diseases found in children with cyanosis are
- Tetralogy of fallout: this type of disease is the most common among babies who are 2-3 months old. Babies suffer from bluishness and cry a lot. In this condition babies suffer with the following problems
- Obstructed blood circulation to lungs.
- Hole in heart.
- Thick right lower chamber of heart.
- Main artery is partly committed towards right side.
The treatment to above mentioned diseases is surgery known as total correction. It is basically an open heart surgery which takes about 6-8 hours to be done and the recovery period is about 2-3 weeks.
- Transposition of Great Arteries: this is also a heart disease wherein the two main arteries emerge from contrary cardiac chambers. In a normal body, deoxygenated blood goes from the right side of the heart and reaches lungs for oxygenation. This blood now goes to the left side of the heart and is then distributed all over the body with the help of aorta.
But in the case of Transposition of great arteries (TGA) it is the other way round. In this condition aorta is joined with the right heart and pulmonary artery is joined to the left side of the heart. As a result deoxygenated blood is supplied throughout the body and oxygenated blood keeps rotating to the lungs. This leads to bluishness in babies. Such condition is very severe and treatment is necessary.
- Methemoglobinemia: this problem arises when large amount of nitrates in water are ingested which means low amount of oxygen reaches babies haemoglobin.
Blue babies syndrome is a very critical condition and it needs to be treated as early as possible. If you find any of the symptoms in your baby then do consult paediatrician.