Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask for help with my blue baby

116 replies

Sleepingallday · 09/11/2023 18:25

Not an AIBU sorry, posting here for traffic.

Does anyone have experience with a baby repeatedly turning blue?

my son was born on Saturday (meconium in waters, fast delivery, not sure how distressed he was) and within a couple of hours he turned blue and stopped breathing. Midwives put him on resus table and he came back.

this happened 3 more times in the next day or so of our hospital stay and on the last time they took it more seriously and gave him antibiotics and tested blood. All results came back clear though so no explanation.

we stayed in hospital for another 48 hours from the last episode and then were given all clear to go home. The thinking was it was probably feed/reflux related as it seemed to happen while winding or just after feeding, and labour was so fast he didn’t get a good squeeze on the way out and it’s a bit of fluid hanging around. So hopefully wouldn’t happen again as he starts feeding well etc.

so we took him home on Tuesday but this morning he had another episode, went floppy and blue and not breathing. I put him on his side and thumped his back and he came round but it was terrifying.

we’ve brought him to a&e as consultant had said if there was a fifth episode he would have been admitted. A&e will monitor his oxygen overnight and test blood but seems like this is the extent of the testing and I feel we won’t have any more answers after this.

I am desperate for some sort of explanation as I can’t get my head round the idea that my son will just periodically turn blue and stop breathing and there’s nothing we can do except whack him on the back and hope for the best when it happens.

has anyone else experienced anything like this? Thanks so much

OP posts:
stealtheatingtunnocks · 09/11/2023 19:09

Are you at a paediatric hospital? Might be worth transferring if possible.

You have responded to your brand new baby’s needs beautifully. Newborns can be finicky wee thIngs, keep him close to you if the monitoring allows, lots of skin to skin and get ear plugs for you so you can try and rest.

congratulations on your baby.

Pancakepipsqueak · 09/11/2023 19:09

Seconding cardiology opinion with ECG and echo. Hope you get answers soon

Shopper727 · 09/11/2023 19:11

He’s been home so they might not admit to nicu now, however he should be admitted and monitored. General paeds wards will be full of bronchiolitus at this time of year, has a paediatric consultant seen you or a registrar? If not ask for a paediatrician to see your baby and write down questions to ask.

Ask how he’ll be monitored, you need rest to op so having him on the very least sats monitoring in a&e but in my ward he’d be on full cardiac monitoring, regular Obs and feeds observed at the least, until seen by consultant and plan worked out of what tests etc he would require. Sounds very scary op, have they shown you where the emergency buzzer is if he does it on the unit? If there’s more then you video it whilst summoning help as it does help to show medics what happens. I hope your wee fella is ok though so scary for you and I hope they find you somewhere to rest comfortably whilst you are observed, you’re a new mum too so please make sure you are comfortable, can eat and drink etc too!!!

Amba1998 · 09/11/2023 19:13

if they’ve done an ecg demand an echo, they can’t rule out heart issues on the ecg alone

get an owlet sock. Much more reliable than the mattress sensors

it sounds quite serious so I’d be asking for a transfer if they can’t find you a bed! He’s a newborn!!

Beastieboys · 09/11/2023 19:16

My mother experianced this with my older brother many years ago ....it turns out that he had a hole in his heart

TeaGinandFags · 09/11/2023 19:19

bookish83 · 09/11/2023 18:32

This 100%

You poor mum x

Show quote history

Sending love and hugs 💐

MexterDorgan · 09/11/2023 19:24

Can recommend the Owlet monitor over Angel care, OP, hopefully will give you peace of mind at night. You're in the right place, please insist on staying until you've seen a consultant paediatrician at the least.

Zippedydoodahday · 09/11/2023 19:28

Another vote for an Owlet sock so you can keep it on 24/7. Mine saved my baby's life when he spotted breathing in the middle of the night as I was fast asleep until it woke me.

Original poster
Sleepingallday · 09/11/2023 19:28

thank you all so much for your supportive and helpful messages. It’s very emotional and overwhelming as most of the health care staff we’ve seen so far have basically said there’s nothing to worry about and it’s normal that it happens sometimes.

we have been looked in on to check his temp but nothing more. I will be pushing for more attention for my boy and looking into the tests and products you’ve suggested. Thank you all again

OP posts:
Els1e · 09/11/2023 19:49

I was a blue baby, now in my 60’s. My mum said she use to stick me under a running cold water tap, which would shock me to breathe. But obviously if you can get a proper medical diagnosis, that would be better

OwletteGecko · 09/11/2023 19:50

That sounds really scary with a baby so young. My son had reflex anoexic seizures but he was much older. The first one was when he was nine months. Whenever he got upset or angry he would go blue around his mouth and face and go unconscious then he'd gasp back to life. When he didn't he'd have a seizure and end up in hospital.

He could do it 10 times a day and as a toddler would fall off things of we didn't watch him like helicopter parents. He had lots of tests to rule out epilepsy etc.

It sounds different but thought I'd mention it in case it helps or gives you something to ask your drs.

His consultant always said that as long as there was a trigger then it meant we could worry less. It was called blue baby syndrome.

I hope you get answers soon.

housethatbuiltme · 09/11/2023 20:37

I don't have any advice but your not alone my DS did this too. It started at a few hours old and he had to be in the NICU under constant monitoring and they NEVER found a reason (they thought myocardial infection but all was ruled out).

As weirdly as it started it just seemed to stopped.

I would suggest getting something like the angle care movement pad monitor for peace of mind if you don't have one. It saved my DS the one time he stopped breathing and went blue at home. It was early morning and DH had just checked him on his way to work and I was getting other DS ready for school so wouldn't have checked on him for another hour or so without the alarm going off.

Toddlerteaplease · 09/11/2023 21:02

NoAuthorityAtAll · 09/11/2023 18:31

Will he be seen by a neonatologist, @Sleepingallday? Where will he be monitored overnight, in the emergency dept or in the neonatal unit?

He'll go to a paediatric ward. And be see. By paediatricians. Babies are not admitted to NICU once they've gone home.

Mmmm19 · 09/11/2023 21:13

I’m medical (but not paediatrics). I normally read this and think or advise to trust the process but i would be worried about going home without a better understanding of what’s going on and longer monitoring. I’m no expert but from my med school level of knowledge I would think cardiac causes eg structural differences/
small hole in heart etc need ruling out so I would ask if this is relevant here. I hope
some reassurance soon

Fionaville · 09/11/2023 21:16

I'm speaking from experience. Dont leave the hospital until you have answers.
There is also an apnea monitor you can get which is attached to babies stomach with medical tape. They are much better than the under cot sheet ones, which aren't as sensitive and have too many false alarms.
You're in the best place, just don't be fobbed off until you are satisfied that every possible test has been carried out.

Sunnyshoeshine · 09/11/2023 21:31

So sorry you are experiencing this, @Sleepingallday My DD had something called a BRUE (I think a PP mentioned it?) - Brief Resolved Unexplained Event. She basically stopped breathing and went all floppy. We were about to start CPR when she started breathing again. She had a two week stay in NICU after birth, was discharged, the BRUE happened the first night that she came home so she was taken by ambulance back to hospital and admitted to paeds. SCBU in our trust don't take babies back once they have left the hospital due to the infection risk (don't know if that is the same everywhere?).

Anyway, she was monitored overnight, it didn't happen again and we were discharged and sent home next day. But everyone took it very seriously and this only after the first time, so if it's happened to you more than once, i agree with the many other PPs that you should push and speak to someone senior about why this is happening and what can be done. We also did a baby first aid class through a company called Daisy First Aid so that we felt more prepared for if it happened again.

Please also look after yourself, OP. This will all be a lot to process on top of a fast birth and adjusting to a new baby. Make sure you keep talking to family / friends / HV etc and ask for help if you need it. I hope they can figure out what is going on for you both. Flowers

Mmmm19 · 09/11/2023 21:35

I think young babies (under a month?) and who are very sick / need special care still go to NICU or SCBU if not so unwell - neonatologist skills are needed for such young babies

sorry that was in reply to poster above

Ladyj84 · 09/11/2023 21:38

New baby I would have had an ambulance. Hope it gets sorted for the wee one

Sunnyshoeshine · 09/11/2023 21:40

Mmmm19 · 09/11/2023 21:35

I think young babies (under a month?) and who are very sick / need special care still go to NICU or SCBU if not so unwell - neonatologist skills are needed for such young babies

sorry that was in reply to poster above

Edited

Thanks - that's good to know. DD was 2weeks + 1 day old and we were sent to paeds but maybe if they had consider her to be sicker than she was, she would have gone back to SCBU? I was just surprised because obviously having been in NICU and then SCBU with sepsis, i expected us to go back there. But it wasn't the case even though she'd literally had less than 24hrs at home when it happened 😪

dublino · 09/11/2023 21:41

I'm sorry you're going through this. I'm far from an sort of expert but I did recently watch a maternity programme here on orris TV were a new born was going through similar, issues were they would suddenly stop breathing. Baby was kept in hospital for weeks after for observatio and had numerous episodes. Turns out there was an issue with feeding where some milk was going into wind pipes eventually they had to adjust bottle teeth etc to control the flow .

Puddlelane123 · 09/11/2023 21:45

Sending a supportive hug because I can well imagine how traumatised you have been by all this, especially whilst only a few days postnatal.

I would be insisting on admission for 24 hours of continuous monitoring, and I would ask the medical team if they have considered CCHS (central congenital hypoventilation syndrome). Do not allow yourself to be discharged until you have seen a Consultant.

Hoping this all resolves soon for you OP, and in the meantime offering a handhold.

Sexnotgender · 09/11/2023 21:45

Annny27 · 09/11/2023 19:04

My baby used to go blue, they had a critical heart condition! I would be asking for an echo ASAP! Xx

Tetralogy of Fallots?

My eldest has it. Scary stuff.

Fleur405 · 09/11/2023 21:47

Oh god how terrifying. I can also recommend the owlet and also the snuza hero. To be honest if I were you I would probably get them both. The snuza hero works without wifi so you could use it for example when your baby is in the pram.

Fleur405 · 09/11/2023 21:48

But also yes I would be asking to be seen by a consultant neonatologist, even if that meant being referred to another hospital.

Shalopea · 09/11/2023 21:52

My DD did this a few times and had to stay in incubator/NICU. Same thing happened at home after we were discharged and then we had to rush back. It is truly terrifying.

After that last time, it just never happened again and we were never really given any explanation for it. She must have been a couple of weeks old at that point. She was full term, large and healthy and no problems found.

After that she was totally fine. She’s a perfectly healthy 4 year old now with no ongoing issues.