If the oxygen deprivation occurred throughout the delivery process, the baby may be blue at birth, have no breath sounds, no cry, poor muscle tone or a low heart rate. The baby’s APGAR score may be low and arterial blood gas testing may show a low pH (ie: <7.1) or an elevated Base Excess.

Oxygen and nutrients from the mother’s blood are transferred across the placenta to the fetus through the umbilical cord. This enriched blood flows through the umbilical vein toward the baby’s liver. There it moves through a shunt called the ductus venosus.

The umbilical cord is the main source of oxygen for the fetus.

They can include:

1. blue-coloured lips, fingers and toes.
2. rapid, shallow breathing.
3. flaring nostrils.
4. a grunting sound when breathing.

Symptoms of low blood oxygen levels

• shortness of breath.
• headache.
• restlessness.
• dizziness.
• rapid breathing.
• chest pain.
• confusion.
• high blood pressure.

When your body is low on oxygen, you feel tired. Fatigue comes more quickly when your lungs can’t properly inhale and exhale air.

Using Oxygen While You Sleep. Everyone breathes differently when they are asleep. When you’re sleeping, your body slows down, your breathing becomes shallower, and you take in less air in each breath. This can be dangerous for people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) or other lung conditions.

Oxygen therapy is generally safe, but it can cause side effects. They include a dry or bloody nose, tiredness, and morning headaches. Oxygen poses a fire risk, so you should never smoke or use flammable materials when using oxygen.

Liberal Use of Oxygen Increases Risk of Death for Acutely Ill. Researchers have found oxygen therapy increases risk of death when given liberally to patients with acute illness, such as heart attack, stroke, and trauma.

Patients may also experience side effects due to oxygen use such as nasal dryness, nasal bleeding, dizziness, some loss of taste and smell, and unpleasant cosmetic effects.

If you’ve started home oxygen, you should never reduce or stop it on your own. It is important to talk with your doctor if you think your oxygen therapy needs to change. There are serious health risks, including strain on your heart and lungs, if you stop using extra oxygen when you need it.

There is no such thing as becoming “dependent on” or “addicted to” supplemental oxygen — everybody needs a constant supply of oxygen to live. If there is not enough oxygen in your bloodstream to supply your tissues and cells, then you need supplemental oxygen to keep your organs and tissues healthy.

Can I Become Dependent on 02? Luckily there is no such thing as being dependent or “addicted” to oxygen because everyone needs oxygen to live. If supplemental oxygen is used as instructed by a medical physician, there shouldn’t be any problems.

Oxygen radicals harm the fats, protein and DNA in your body. This damages your eyes so you can’t see properly, and your lungs, so you can’t breathe normally. So breathing pure oxygen is quite dangerous.