Diagnosis tools for blue baby may include:
Chest X-Ray
Electrocardiogram
Echocardiogram
Cardiac catheterization
Blood testsLong-term prognosis of blue baby depends on the severity of the specific heart defect and the chosen treatment. Inotropic medications such as digoxin, which affects the contraction of heart muscle, may reduce the workload of heart muscles, vessels or chambers and relieve a blue baby’s symptoms.
Cardiac catheterization is another procedure that is more invasive and requires a thin tube, or catheter, to be inserted through a large blood vessel near the groin and guided to the heart. Through this tube, cardiologists can enlarge vessels and valves that have been narrowed, close holes in the wall between the chambers of the heart, or repair vessels. A blue baby may also undergo surgery to restore normal function to the heart and treat underlying congenital heart disease.
Blue babies may require supplements to their diet to help them grow, such as high calorie formulas. Consumption of iron drops and iron-rich formula may also be necessary to aid oxygen binding to red blood cells, so oxygen can be carried more efficiently in the bloodstream.
Because children with cyanosis may not have the same level of energy as other children do, they require more rest. You should know your child’s usual coloring and daily behavior and note persistent changes, such as a bluish complexion, increased sleeping, poor feeding, decreased energy, or squatting. Children can also turn blue because of lung or other respiratory problems, being cold, or having seizures. Keep in contact with your physician and notify him or her of significant changes. Although the extent of cyanosis due to congenital heart disease varies in nature and severity from blue baby to blue baby, advanced treatments can restore the flush in a baby’s cheeks and enable him or her to grow up and live a healthy life.
