To worry about blue lips??

ohIdoliketobebesidethesea · 2021-10-24T06:50:29+00:00

Little one (2 1/2) has had none stop colds since starting nursery. He has just got over the last one about a week ago. Since then he has still had a cough but only at night. He will start coughing every night and it will last for about ten mins at a time, he then gets really distraught. The last few times I've been in to check on him when he's having these episodes his lips and all around them have been blue. He no longer has a temp or any other sign of the bug he had but it's worrying me a bit that this cold won't go. He also has suspected asthma so I'm not sure if it's now that instead of a normal cough?

OverByYer · 24/10/2021 07:52

It could mean his oxygen levels are low. I’d ring nhs direct or pop to children’s A&E

WisestIsShe · 24/10/2021 07:54

YANBU I agree with pp get him checked out.

BonnyEm · 24/10/2021 07:54

If this happens again call 999.
If it doesn't happen again by Monday book emergency gp appointment

Original poster

ohIdoliketobebesidethesea · 24/10/2021 08:13

Thank you, I will try and get him checked out today

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whatswithtodaytoday · 24/10/2021 08:14

Do you have an inhaler for him? And if so, does using it help? Definitely get him checked out asap.

Darbs76 · 24/10/2021 08:15

Yes you do need to get him seen. This isn’t normal from what I know. My son had blue lips once and he was quite unwell. If this is happening often he needs checking out for sure

Original poster

ohIdoliketobebesidethesea · 24/10/2021 08:26

@whatswithtodaytoday

Do you have an inhaler for him? And if so, does using it help? Definitely get him checked out asap.

We have a blue one but it hasn't been helping

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YukoandHiro · 24/10/2021 08:27

Yes get checked out. I took my baby to a&e for this a few weeks ago and it did turn out to be something we needed to be there for

WaltzingBetty · 24/10/2021 08:58

His oxygen saturation levels are low and this is dangerous. Please take him to A&E they can perform respiratory function tests even when he's no currently blue - please don't wait for it to happen again

hashbrownsandwich · 24/10/2021 08:59

This would be a red flag, please call 111

Original poster

ohIdoliketobebesidethesea · 24/10/2021 09:03

Just to update I have called 111 and am waiting for someone to call me back. I will update again once I've spoken to them

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tiredanddangerous · 24/10/2021 09:03

Yes you need to worry about blue lips. Next time it happens call 999. In the meantime get on the phone to 111 today and ask for an urgent GP appointment

defnotadomesticgoddess · 24/10/2021 09:24

My dd had asthma from 9 months. We were advised to take her to hospital if her lips went blue (111 were going to send an ambulance but we live 1 mile the hospital so I drove her). With/without blue lips - If you can see him also using the muscles around his neck to breathe and look at the top tummy does it suck in a lot when he breathes? If so definitely get him to hospital too. If he’s only on ventolin you may be given a preventer inhaler to use aswell. Did they give you a spacer for the blue inhaler and show you how to use it? Hope he’s ok 💐

Original poster

ohIdoliketobebesidethesea · 24/10/2021 09:41

@defnotadomesticgoddess

My dd had asthma from 9 months. We were advised to take her to hospital if her lips went blue (111 were going to send an ambulance but we live 1 mile the hospital so I drove her). With/without blue lips - If you can see him also using the muscles around his neck to breathe and look at the top tummy does it suck in a lot when he breathes? If so definitely get him to hospital too. If he’s only on ventolin you may be given a preventer inhaler to use aswell. Did they give you a spacer for the blue inhaler and show you how to use it? Hope he’s ok 💐

Were your DD's lips blue for a long time or just when coughing. I'm worried about taking him in incase I'm just wasting their time because his lips only go blue when he's having these coughing fits, a couple of mins after he's finished coughing it goes back to normal again. We do have a spacer but we find it really difficult giving him his inhaler because he really hates it

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Original poster

ohIdoliketobebesidethesea · 24/10/2021 09:42

@defnotadomesticgoddess

My dd had asthma from 9 months. We were advised to take her to hospital if her lips went blue (111 were going to send an ambulance but we live 1 mile the hospital so I drove her). With/without blue lips - If you can see him also using the muscles around his neck to breathe and look at the top tummy does it suck in a lot when he breathes? If so definitely get him to hospital too. If he’s only on ventolin you may be given a preventer inhaler to use aswell. Did they give you a spacer for the blue inhaler and show you how to use it? Hope he’s ok 💐

Also he doesn't have any other signs of breathing difficulties like sucking in at the neck or ribs or anything. In himself he seems absolutely fine apart from the coughing. The only other slight thing we have noticed is that he's not wanting to run around with his sister as much and he has a bit of a rattling sound when breathing

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Mylittlepotofjoy · 24/10/2021 09:45

Coughing at night in a small child can be a sign of asthma . Please get little one checked . Hope they are ok it’s so worrying when they are poorly

KTheGrey · 24/10/2021 09:47

Please don't feel you are wasting the hospital's time if you are worried about your LO. That's what they are there for and so much better safe than sorry. Xx

MrsMaiselsRedCoat · 24/10/2021 09:47

If the blue inhaler isn't helping his coughing and he has a rattling when he's breathing, alongside the blue lips bring him to A&E.
It sounds very much like he needs a nebuliser.

Ds had asthma at that age and we had to do this a lot. If you can, put him in the car and take him to the nearest children's hospital.

defnotadomesticgoddess · 24/10/2021 09:56

I can’t remember how long her lips were blue. From my experience your little one needs to be seen ASAP x

SusannahHolmes · 24/10/2021 10:27

On a different tone, one of my kids as a toddler always used to get blue lips when mildly unwell. In his case it was not serious; it was described by the doctor as "getting a bit peripherally shut down". However I was told that it was sensible to get him checked out. He grew out of it around age 3.5.

justasking111 · 24/10/2021 12:24

Poor little one

WaltzingBetty · 24/10/2021 13:02

I'm worried about taking him in incase I'm just wasting their time

@ohIdoliketobebesidethesea

Blue lips are a sign that your child has such severe levels of pathology his body is not getting enough oxygen. That is potentially life threatening.

Which is worse? The risk of 'wasting time' or the risk of serious damage to your child?
Get him checked out ASAP

tcjotm · 24/10/2021 13:55

It is definitely not a waste of time. If he’s not getting enough oxygen, nothing else matters. Remember first aid involves checking/protecting the airway as a first step. He’s only very little too and can’t describe chest tightness or other symptoms that might not be obvious to you.

I was diagnosed with asthmas as a child. Coughing was my primary symptom. I didn’t often wheeze.

Marvellousmadness · 24/10/2021 13:57

Get him seen. For sure. Blue lips isn't normal! But a cold that never seems to go... isn't that unusual when your child enters nursery unfortunately..

Goawayangryman · 24/10/2021 14:00

Has he been vaccinated against whooping cough?? Either way he definitely needs to see a medical professional.