Baby turning blue

[Rubica]

Following from my previous thread.

Last week, my son was admitted to hospital for 3 days due to turning blue and stopping breathing/going floppy a number of times. They did and ECG, monitored him and sent him home, despite another blue episode in hospital.

I had some good advice on here. The hospital have done all they can to reassure me and are booking him in for a heart echo in 4-6 weeks (which seems like a long time).

He seems to be okay now and I'm not sure how to feel. The first time it happened I thought he had died.

I'm feeling traumatised and terrified it'll happen again. I also don't know what to do if it does keep happening. They said only to call and ambulance if it lasts more than a minute. It would feel wrong to sit and watch him turning blue for a minute and only then calling an ambulance. If it IS something serious that's a minute I've wasted.

I feel like I'm in limbo. Feel like there's something wrong with my baby but the ECH showed nothing.

Has anyone experienced similar? Can anyone advise? How can I get rid of this god awful feeling of anxiety?

Nothing similar but a hug, that would terrify me. You did the right thing and got him checked.
If your worried at all then call for help. I know paramedics would 100% prefer a wasted call than for the worst to happen.
Hugs X

How old is the baby? I have no medical qualifications but I know a few people who had similiar issues. During one it was literally nothing. The baby just slept too deeply and I think they said just had an immature system for waking themselves up. He's 5 now and 100% fine.

Another did have a small heart issue. I can't remember exactly what it was (hole in the heart?) but she's now 10 and is fine. I think it used to be checked every year, now it's less frequent. She was advised not to run a marathon or do anything very extreme sports wise without medical monitoring but otherwise doesn't affect her life at all.

In the short term if my baby ever turned blue I would call an ambulance personally not wait a minute. I would also do an infant cpr course personally. I would also seek counselling as you've been through a traumatic event already.

I read your first post and it sounded really scary, personally I wouldn’t wait the minute and would call the ambulance straight away.
I also think the hospital haven’t treated you that well.
Is there another hospital near you for a 2nd opinion

I've not experienced similar but I have a poorly baby. He was admitted last week for shaking and his lips turning blue. He's a regular at the hospital for chest infections and breathing problems too. I can't really offer advice but I'd just say I don't think I could watch my baby turn blue for a minute either and from my experience with our hospital I doubt they'd criticise you if you didn't our drs say they'd rather see him 100 times and not need to than us think he'll be OK and it be to late. I hope your little one is doing better it's so scary when you have a poorly baby.

@ThreeAnkleBiters he's nearly 4 months old. He's tiny too! Only 13lbs

Rubica that is terrifying, I would be traumatised too. In all honesty I wouldn't be able to wait a minute if my baby was turning blue and going floppy. Better to be safe then sorry. I hope you get some answers soon and your little baby is ok

@Cranky17 I'm not far from Birmingham children's but feel like I would be accused of time wasting.

I second the suggestion of doing a first aid course - I'd recommend it to any parent anyway but it would be reassuring to you to know you'd be able to help while you waiting for them to arrive.

I wouldn't wait a minute either.

no real advice sorry op but I do think 4-6 weeks for an echo is too long. Can you contact pals and try and get this appointment brought forward?

They did baby CPR with me which was brilliant. Scary but worth knowing.

I am another who would not wait a minute, I would be straight on the phone, if the paramedics arrive and he is fully recovered they will decide whether or not he needs to go in. Sometimes, as a parent, you have to put your fears of being a time waster to the back of your mind and make yourself a bit of a pain in the arse (no decent healthcare professional should make you feel like a time waster in these circumstances though). I second the idea of learning CPR too.

No real advice but I remember that happening to my daughter when she was a baby (premature with a heart condition) and it was terrifying so you have my sympathy, it was different though in her case, it hospital it was just because she was still so premature, and when it happened at home she had a nasty virus. The only thing that helped my anxiety was a breathing monitor, we used a snuza hero that clips onto the nappy and vibrates if it doesn't detect a breath after 10 seconds, and then various alarms go off if it keeps happening. It's not fool proof as it can slip off the nappy and give a false alarm (I didn't mind this tho) and it didn't stop us needing to pay attention to her colour etc but it did help my anxiety and allow me to get some sleep! Hopefully it was just a one off with your baby and won't happen again, DD is almost 2 now and nothing like that has happened since she was small flowers]

@Cranky17 I'm not far from Birmingham children's but feel like I would be accused of time wasting

You wouldn’t be wasting their time at all,
I’d take him there

OP my DD has a heart condition. It was the most scary thing in the world bringing her home from hospital with half a sheet of A4 advising us what to do if she turned blue (don't hang about, call an ambulance!) We waited 4 weeks for an echo then got sent the next day to cardiology, it was so stressful, you never get next day appointments unless it is urgent!

But, once we were seen by cardiology they scheduled an op for her straight away and she has been fine ever since. She has check ups once a year and lives a normal life (although told not to run marathons, but that was not a problem for her as she is not keen on running anyway) She is in her final year of A levels and it has never held her back.

The technology that is available these days is amazing, I am sure your DS will be in good hands. PM me if you need to.