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Blue baby syndrome
Blue baby syndrome can refer to conditions that cause cyanosis, or blueness of the skin, in babies as a result of low blood oxygen levels. This term traditionally refers to cyanosis as a result of:.
Although these are the most common causes of cyanosis, other potential factors can cause a blue tint to a baby's skin or mucous membranes. These factors include hypoventilation, perfusion or ventilation differences in the lungs, and poor cardiac output of oxygenated blood, among others. The blue baby syndrome or cyanosis occurs when absolute amount of deoxygenated hemoglobin > 3g/dL which is typically reflected with an O2 saturation of < 85 %.
Both of these conditions cause cyanosis, or a bluish discoloration of skin or mucous membranes. Normally, oxygenated blood appears red and deoxygenated blood has more of a blue appearance. In babies with low levels of oxygen or mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood, the blood can have a blue or purple color, causing cyanosis.
The main sign of blue baby syndrome is cyanosis. Depending on the underlying cause of the cyanosis, additional symptoms may be:
Blue baby syndrome has been attributed to cyanotic congenital heart diseases and methemoglobinemia, however there are additional causes that could result in a baby becoming cyanotic, such as:
Specific types of congenital heart defects cause blood to bypass the lungs by shunting directly from the right side of the heart to the left side, leading to cyanosis. In these defects, deoxygenated blood enters the systemic circulation, giving the skin a bluish color and causing the baby to appear cyanotic. Infants with these types of heart defects may have a persistent bluish tint to their skin, or they may have intermittent episodes of cyanosis. The degree of cyanosis is dependent on the extent of deoxygenated blood mixing with oxygenated blood before being pumped into the systemic circulation.
Cardiac conditions in which there is decreased blood flow to the lungs such as, tetralogy of Fallot or pulmonary valve atresia, result in less blood becoming oxygenated. There are also cardiac conditions such as transposition of the great arteries or truncus arteriosus, that results in an overall increase in blood flow to the lungs but with limited flow of the oxygenated blood to the rest of the body. Conditions in which there is poor blood flow to the systemic circulation, such as coarctation of the aorta suggests that the body does not receive the oxygenated blood it requires with resultant cyanosis.
The five most common cyanotic heart defects that may result in Blue Baby Syndrome include the following:
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Blue baby syndrome
Blue baby syndrome can refer to conditions that cause cyanosis, or blueness of the skin, in babies as a result of low blood oxygen levels. This term traditionally refers to cyanosis as a result of:.
Although these are the most common causes of cyanosis, other potential factors can cause a blue tint to a baby's skin or mucous membranes. These factors include hypoventilation, perfusion or ventilation differences in the lungs, and poor cardiac output of oxygenated blood, among others. The blue baby syndrome or cyanosis occurs when absolute amount of deoxygenated hemoglobin > 3g/dL which is typically reflected with an O2 saturation of < 85 %.
Both of these conditions cause cyanosis, or a bluish discoloration of skin or mucous membranes. Normally, oxygenated blood appears red and deoxygenated blood has more of a blue appearance. In babies with low levels of oxygen or mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood, the blood can have a blue or purple color, causing cyanosis.
The main sign of blue baby syndrome is cyanosis. Depending on the underlying cause of the cyanosis, additional symptoms may be:
Blue baby syndrome has been attributed to cyanotic congenital heart diseases and methemoglobinemia, however there are additional causes that could result in a baby becoming cyanotic, such as:
Specific types of congenital heart defects cause blood to bypass the lungs by shunting directly from the right side of the heart to the left side, leading to cyanosis. In these defects, deoxygenated blood enters the systemic circulation, giving the skin a bluish color and causing the baby to appear cyanotic. Infants with these types of heart defects may have a persistent bluish tint to their skin, or they may have intermittent episodes of cyanosis. The degree of cyanosis is dependent on the extent of deoxygenated blood mixing with oxygenated blood before being pumped into the systemic circulation.
Cardiac conditions in which there is decreased blood flow to the lungs such as, tetralogy of Fallot or pulmonary valve atresia, result in less blood becoming oxygenated. There are also cardiac conditions such as transposition of the great arteries or truncus arteriosus, that results in an overall increase in blood flow to the lungs but with limited flow of the oxygenated blood to the rest of the body. Conditions in which there is poor blood flow to the systemic circulation, such as coarctation of the aorta suggests that the body does not receive the oxygenated blood it requires with resultant cyanosis.
The five most common cyanotic heart defects that may result in Blue Baby Syndrome include the following: