What Is Blue Baby Syndrome?
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
7. Variations
The symptoms of blue baby syndrome associated with congenital heart defects vary somewhat from those associated with methemoglobinemia. Though cyanosis is present in both instances, the two conditions can produce a different shade of blue. Methemoglobinemia causes patients to turn a slate-gray color, while oxygen deficiency due to a heart defect produces a shade described as “heliotrope,” named after a purple flower.
When a heart defect is present from birth, cyanosis and other symptoms are often identified shortly thereafter, often within a few hours. By contrast, because methemoglobinemia arises from exposure to substances in the environment, symptoms may not show up for several months after the baby’s birth.
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