Screening for critical congenital heart defect should be done on all newborns after 24hours or shortly before discharge. Oxygen saturation is measured in the right hand and either foot.A screening is considered positive if:

Oxygen saturation <90% in either extremity,
Oxygen saturation 90-94% in both extremities on 3 measurements separated by an hour each,
Oxygen saturation difference >3% between both extremities on 3 measurements separated by an hour each. Management
Treatment for blue baby syndrome will depend on the underlying cause. When evaluating a patient for cyanosis or respiratory distress, vital signs should be monitored, especially the patients heart rate and oxygen saturation. It is beneficial to have vascular access established. In newborns, the pulse oximeter is typically placed on the right hand to determine pre-ductal oxygenation, referring to oxygenation before the ductus arteriosus (connection between aorta and pulmonary artery). This gives the oxygenation level the heart and brain receive. Traditionally, supplemental oxygen is given in an escalating manner beginning with free-flowing oxygen, progressing to positive pressure ventilation or continuous positive airway pressure, and ending with mechanical intubation. The goal oxygen saturation is between 85 and 95%. If an infant requires supplemental oxygen for a prolonged time it should be heated and humidified to avoid heat loss. Cyanotic heart disease
Some babies born with cyanotic heart disease are treated with prostaglandin E1 after birth to keep the ductus arteriosus open and allow for more oxygenated blood to be pumped to the body. Many also receive oxygen therapy to increase the percentage of oxygen in the blood.
The operation was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1945 and impacted management of blue babies around the world.Anna was the name of the dog who was the first survivor of the surgery, considered an experimental procedure at the time. Anna survived the first pulmonary bypass after having been operated on twice. The second operation was required to replace the original stitches with flexible ones. After their success with Anna, Blalock and Thomas had the courage to perform the very first open heart surgery on Eileen Saxon in 1944. In 1950, Annas story was made into a movie, and the film has been shown to various schools and other groups. == References ==