Cyanotic congenital heart disease or blue baby syndrome
Management of cyanotic congenital heart disease or blue baby syndrome
Cyanosis or bluish discoloration of toenail, fingernail and tongue is children is generally termed as blue baby syndrome. Most commonly it is associated with a complex congenital heart defect which causes mixing of oxygenated or impure blood with oxygenated or pure blood in the heart. The child may be blue from the birth or develops the disease after some time following birth. What ever the timing of presentation this bluish discoloration needs urgent medical attention. The most common disease in Indian population causing this symptom is Tetralogy of Fallott’s( TOF).TGA, DORV, Univentricular heart, TAPVC etc. are the complex congenital heart diseases that can produce similar symptoms.
cyanotic congenital heart disease or blue baby syndrome treatment in Kolkata, India
cyanotic congenital heart surgery in Kolkata
The babies are generally very sick and needs urgent medical care and generally open heart surgery is the only treatment of choice. Sometimes more than one surgery is required with time gap.
These patients are unique in their presentation and surgical management techniques are designed for individuals according to their pathophysiology. Skilled surgical approach and meticulous planning for management produces very good results and post operative quality of life is very good.
The timing and plan of management is decided by proper evaluation of child by Echocardiogram and various imaging studies like catheter directed study in cath lab or CT angiography under proper guidance of a pediatric cardiologist and a pediatric cardiac surgeon.
So a child with blue baby syndrome needs proper medical guidance and surgical management for most favourable outcome.