Cyanosis is a bluish color in the skin, lips, and nail beds caused by a shortage of oxygen in the blood. Cyanosis occurs because blood with low levels of oxygen turns blue or purple. This low-oxygen blood causes a blue-purple tint to the skin.
Symptoms & Causes
What are the symptoms of cyanosis?
The most common symptom of cyanosis is blue skin, especially where the skin is thin, such as the mouth, lips, fingernails, and earlobes.
What conditions cause cyanosis?
Cyanosis is usually caused by problems of the heart, lungs, or blood. Some of the heart conditions that can cause a child to have cyanosis are:
Treatment for cyanosis involves treating the underlying disease. Once this is resolved, the skin should return to its proper color.
How we care for cyanosis
At the Boston Children’s Hospital Benderson Family Heart Center, we have one of the world’s largest teams of highly trained pediatric cardiologists and pediatric cardiac surgeons, including special expertise across dozens of programs and services.
The Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Center is dedicated to treating and managing long-term follow-up care for children born with congenital diaphragmatic hernias.
