The signs and symptoms of Ebstein’s anomaly depend on the severity of the condition. Among more severe cases, the skin may be slightly blue (cyanosis), a condition that is often called blue baby when occurring in infants. Cyanosis is an indicator that the body is not getting enough oxygen-rich blood. Other signs and symptoms may include:

Like other babies with congenital heart disease, infants with Ebstein’s anomaly are weak and easily fatigued. Feeding time can be especially difficult. Fainting may also occur. 

In very severe cases, the child will exhibit cyanosis and a condition called metabolic acidosis (excess acid in the blood) within hours of birth. These children should be treated on an emergency basis and taken into surgery at the first available opportunity. Other children, with less severe abnormalities, may develop symptoms more slowly and exhibit symptoms of heart failure within the first few weeks of life. In more mild cases, symptoms may not be apparent until later childhood. Those who have heart failure as infants have a more serious form of the condition, and they will need to be monitored more closely after surgery.

Among less severe cases of Ebstein’s, signs and symptoms may not appear until well into adulthood. These signs and symptoms may include:

• Breathlessness after exercise
• Fatigue
• Cyanosis
• Palpitations (fast or pounding heart beat)