Blue around the mouth?

Please tell me this is 'just wind', as my mother says (o, she of the school of old wives' tales! I can never get any sense out of her, and she's not even 50 yet!)!

DD2 has this funny purple-blue colour around her mouth, mainly below her bottom lip. Yes, she is a very gassy little thing, always burping and fluffing, so I'm hoping my mum is right and that she's just got wind... I'm worried that it might be something more serious though, maybe a problem with her circulation? The rest of her body (hands, feet, torso etc) is beautiful pink, warm, and healthy-looking... it's just the area around her lips that have me concerned. She's not unsettled or seeming to be in any pain (DD1 had a bit of constipation at a few weeks of age and I *knew* she had a pain in the gut, she carried on like a pork chop until we got some Coloxyl into her), but her feeding has gone from being exceptional (ie, CONSTANT) to pretty sporadic (I'm having to wake her for feeds every few hours, she will sleep all day if I let her)...

I just don't know what I'm looking at, and whether it needs the attention of a doctor or a trip to the ER (ie, more urgent than a visit to the GP tomorrow while DD1 is at daycare). Can anybody help me out?

I'd follow your instinct. Sounds like your concerned so I'd just ring the local hossy and see what they say. I'm sure they'll put your mind at ease.

hmm.. is it definately a blue colour or is it a greyish white sorta colour? if its the greyish white then my mum says its wind too. but i have heard that if babys go blue around the mouth it can be a sign of oxygen definciency and you should get it checked out. that accompanied with the extra sleepyness would probably warrant a trip to at least the GP. though, having said that she is 2 weeks so they do sleep a bit at at that age. if it were my baby i would go to see a GP just for peace of mind.

does she seem unwell in any other way or are there sick people around her at the moment? being dehydration can also cause sleepyness so a good way to check for that is if her fontanelle is sunken, if she is dry around the mouth, and if you gently pinch the skin on the back of her hand and it stays up for a bit instead of going back down straight away then she could be dehydrated.

anyway, hope it is all good.

just re-read and you are wanting to know if you should go to ER or GP tomorrow.. to tell you the truth if it were me i would probably go to ER tonight. its a pain but you will feel so much better when they send you home with peace of mind.

I agree, if it's consistent and you're concerned, call the hospital and ask them if she should be seen. She is so, so litle, it's better to be safe than sorry.

I think go get her checked out . . . they won't think you're silly or anything. My mum works in an Emergency Department and she said they get little babies there all the time and it's fine, better to be safe than sorry. At least if it's nothing, you can sleep easy tonight.

Otherwise give that health nurse a phone call (I think it is 13HEALTH but you'll have to check) and you can describe it to her and she will let you know whether she thinks you should go to ED or wait till tomorrow.

I hope it's nothing and just your little DD keeping you on your toes :hug:

I would take her.

DD had blueness around the mouth and nose in hossy on day 2 and it was that much of a concern they wouldnt let us go home. Her oxygen levels were all over the place (however at the time thay said it was most likey her lungs learning to work properly ad take over from the placenta).

Not wanting to scare you as she had that as a very young newborn and hasnt had it again since but you should follow your instincts. :hug:

Thanks for your advice, girls.
DH just got home from TAFE so now that I have the car and someone to watch DD1 I might pop up to the hospital and see what they think. The blueness seems to have faded a fair bit but you guys are right, I would rather get it checked out and be told I'm a ninny, than let it go and have a serious problem on my hands!
:)

Let us know how she goes, the more I think about it, the more I think you're doing the right thing.

Hope they tell you you're a ninny ;)

Good decision.

Here's hoping your a ninny.

Keep us posted - I hope all is ok!!

GM - I hope it's nothing serious hun!

DS gets 'blue' around his mouth sometimes too - sounds like what you're describing. First time it happened we were still in hossy and I freaked out totally so I can understand your concern. In his case, the midwives told me it could be wind and said that if it was a breathing/circulation thing he'd be pale all over, cold, have a vacant stare or otherwise be non-responsive. DS still gets a little blue at times but I haven't noticed much of a correlation with wind (he ALWAYS has wind LOL). I hope that you get told something similar at hossy tonight (i.e. that it's nothing to be concerned about).

Well, I can't believe I'm already back home - I'm going to take DD to the GP tomorrow anyway to get a second opinion.
The doctor who checked her out just gave her a look-over, said her skin and alertness look okay to him and that it was 'probably' just wind, and told me to go home and come back if anything major happened :/ Fingers crossed he's right, like I said, I'm going to take her to the doctor tomorrow and hope that she does more than glance at her and go, 'Yup, she's breathing, therefore she's okay'!!

Thanks again for th esupport, ladies, DH thinks I'm overreacting but his eyesight's shot so he probably thinks I'm imagining it :)
The colour has faded to more of a grey-white shade though so I'll keep an eye on it :)

How is your DD Gothmum? What did the GP say? Hope all is well for you guys.

:

---

but i have heard that if babys go blue around the mouth it can be a sign of oxygen definciency and you should get it checked out. that accompanied with the extra sleepyness would probably warrant a trip to at least the GP. .

---

Mateauz was blue around the mouth and eyes for a week, slept like a dream......he started have seizures at 2 in the morning and was rushed to hospital were he almost died on us due to blood clots errupting in his brain. This was at 2 weeks of age......

Go to the doctor hon and get the second opinion..please please please.....ring nurse on call or the MCHN on call to express your concern

Mothers instinct is always right.

Wow, I wish my medical people were as supportive as you guys... :/
Took her to the GP on Wednesday and showed the doctor (not the one I usually see, who is lovely, this guy just didn't seem to give a rats') and he just shrugged... I said, 'So it's normal? It's nothing to worry about?' and he said, 'yes, it's normal' (without really even looking, just glanced at it!).
Then the midwife from extended care rang this morning to check in, I mentioned it to her and she said, 'Oh no, that should be fine,' I'm like, '*Should* be fine? Are you sure?' and yeah, that was pretty much it!

I'll definitely be keeping an eye on it, especially now that I've come down with the flu and bubs is looking a bit red around the eyes... she looks fine otherwise and is still feeding well and acting normally, but yeah, until I can actually get someone to listen to me about this one I'll be staying very wary, especially after some of your experiences!

I'd always heard about the blue around the mouth thing meaning the bub had wind...I never believed it because DS never had it...but it's funny, DD gets a blue ring around her mouth just before a big burp...how bizarre! Hehe, I had to eat my words when I realised that the blue ring (for her) does in fact mean she needs a burp... ;) It goes away pretty much straight after the burp too.

Hey GothMum, while I dont want to freak you out...my DS has a serious health issue and one of the "presentations" is blue around the mouth, or finger/toe-nails, between and around the eyes. I would recommend going to a children's hospital to see a pediatrician - not just your average hospt emergency.

If it comes again, or if her feeding drops off, she sleeps more than normal, urine output reduces or she seems listless then go to a children's hospital or as your GP for a referral to a pediatrician.

Its just not worth following it up - and it will eat at you anyway.

Get an opinion from someone who is used to seeing newborns all the time.

Rachel