Cyanotic defects result in a blue discoloration of the skin due to low oxygen levels.
Heart disorders that cause a decreased, inadequate amount of oxygen in blood pumped to the body are called cyanotic defects.
Cyanotic defects include truncus arteriosus, total anomalous pulmonary venous return, tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of the great arteries, tricuspid atresia, and pulmonary atresia.
The child cries or gasps, forcibly exhales, stops breathing, and turns either blue (cyanotic form) or pale (pallid form).
About 60 percent of affected children have the cyanotic form of BHS, in which the skin and lips turn bluish.