A blue baby is an infant born with a type of congenital heart disease that causes the infant’s skin to have a bluish tint (cyanosis). Cyanosis develops when the tissues and organs of the body do not receive enough oxygen. This, in turn, is caused when much of the blood circulating through the body is “blue” (or oxygen–poor) rather than “red” (or oxygen–rich) to nourish the baby’s tissues. Many different heart defects can cause this condition. Although a blue baby once had very little chance of survival, treatments are now available to help blue babies grow up to live normal, healthy lives.

Depending on the specific heart defect that is causing the condition, treatment could involve medications, a minimally invasive procedure called cardiac catheterization or surgery. These treatments may help to correct, but not cure, the condition.