my newborn turned blue!

[dorajoan]

My chunky 10+ lb dd took to nursing like a pro...and we have had no problems. I've noticed that she gets the hiccups all the time and coughs a good bit. She was a c-section so I assumed it was still all the gunk in her lungs. Last night I was nursing and she started to cough (which has happened before), but this time it lasted longer than usual and her whole face turned blue. I nearly died. I sat her up immediately when she started coughing and started rubbing/patting her back vigorously. She kept coughing the whole time...probably about 10 seconds, and then went back to normal. I'm going to call my dr. today to ask about this, but has this happened to anyone? Do you think she just breathed in wrong and/or that it's all the gunk from the c-section, or could she have infant reflux? Also, any ideas of what I can do if this happens again to get her to stop choking? I had no idea what I was doing and just got lucky I guess. The image of her little blue face keeps coming back to me though - I'm almost afraid to lay her down or let her be out of my sight at all now. Thanks in advance!

[mibarra]

I would call the after hours number a your Peds office. Turning blue was something they told me to talk to the doctor about asap when I brought my NICU baby home....

[lilmomma83]

That could be very serious...I've read turning blue during feedings can be a sign of an underlining issue with the heart. I don't mean to scare you, but, not something to take lightly.

On another note my little brother turned totally blue as a baby, had a ton of tests done, and it ended up he was totally fine. He's a very healthy, athletic, 6 foot 7 inch 230 pound 22 year old now :-)

[LaughingPeaMama]

It can also just be reflux. The coughing during the feed sounds like this. Babies also still
Have to work on the suck swallow and breathe combo. Ask your dr but my ds had boughts of turning blue around his mouth and nose for like the first month or two. When I'd unlatch him and sit him up it would go away so I just waited until the next pedi appt and by then it has stopped. He hasn't had it since. So don't freak out yet. Give the dr a call and make sure you tell her that the baby has coughing and all the other things going on.

[jessnic]

Everything the previous posters said! Call the doctor ASAP. They need to check to make sure they are aware of any and all underlying medical issues to keep your baby safe.

Hang in there mama!!

On my smart phone which is clearly not as smart as it seems to believe

[mekat]

Honestly, I would take him to the emergency room if your doctor can't get him in right away and do not leave the emergency room until they agree to cardiac testing.

It could also be choking on reflux or vomit as well however the heart issue needs to be ruled out immediately because an undiagnosed cardiac problem can turn deadly quickly. Also you need to get a nurse or doctor to show you how to properly suction a baby's throat if it is choking on reflux. I used to take a bulb syringe and sunction off to the side of the mouth, not directly down the throat because you can trigger the gag reflex and make matters worse.

My son actually has both reflux and cardiac issues since infancy. He has only turned blue from reflux but then again he has never been in congestive heart failure. Turning blue from a cardiac issue means the heart is in very serious condition and can't keep up with the bodies demands that is why I said go to the emergency room if the doctor can't get you in just in case the bouts of blue are cardiac related. At a minimum you will want an echocardiogram (heart u/s) and an EKG. More then likely you will also need to do a 24 hour holter based on what you described so they can monitor heart function during feeds.

In the mean time assuming reflux make sure to feed the baby less during a feeding but give feedings more frequently. The aim is to have less in his belly to reflux while still maintaining the same calorie consumption. Also keep him inclined as much as possible use gravity to help hold down feeds and never place him flat on his back after a feed. You want to avoid vomit pooling in the mouth and cutting off his airway. Multiple bulb syringes on hand are a good idea in case there is a massive amount of vomiting/relux since I know from first hand experience one bulb syringe won't work in such a situation.

[momof3boys1girl]

take infant CPR for sure and talk to your pedi

[ajbailey89]

My DD2 was also 10lbs and had several "blue spells" This is what she was diagnosed with. http://www.chop.edu/service/airway-d...gomalacia.html Either way, yes, call your dr!

[BottomOfMyHearts]

Head to the ER or Childrens Hospital in your area asap if you cannot get ahold of your normal doctor.

[dorajoan]

Thank you so much everyone! We took her to the dr. today...they said it was baby reflux and have put her on a light dose of zantac. They checked her heart and lungs and they were fine, and since her coloring and eating and weight are really good and all her other little symptoms point toward reflux, they weren't really worried about anything else. Does this sound alright?