Ocassional blue lips and finger tips. A&E or not?

[hjk]

For the 4th time this week, I noticed that my 20-month old had blue lips (or around the lips) sometimes with cold, pale/purple-ish fingers/toes. Twice this happened when she woke up in the morning, and twice during the day. She was indoor everytime this happened. It usually lasted for 10-30 minutes. When it happened during the day, she was absolutely normal - laughing, playing. When it happened in the morning, she did seem not quite her normal happy self (but not crying).
I took her to the GP who didn't check anything but did give me a referral because of "parental anxiety". (She said she was sure it was nothing but how could she know if she didn't check anything!)
I looked up the NHS Direct website and it says 999 + ambulance immediately. I am now quite confused as to what I should do if this blue lips happen again and it's before I get an appointment with the hospital. Shall I bring her to A&E?

I just noticed DD (16 months) had blueish lips this afternoon after lunch. Haven't seen this on her before, but she seems well in herself so I wasn't worried, although I probably would be if it kept happenning. Maybe ring NHS direct if it happens again - they will ask more questions than the website and should be able to give you the right advice.

I noticed this with DD2 when she was about 8 months, but it was just her hands and feet at first. They would go very blue/purple. I had visited the GP who checked her heart and referred us to a paed.

When I was still waiting for the appointment, I noticed that her lips were turning blue and I decided to take her to A&E. They admitted us overnight and checked her heart, did various blood oxygen tests etc and finally concluded that it was just the way her body reacted to cold/ stress. They likened it to Reynaud's Syndrome where your blood vessels constrict and dilate in extreme ways.

She is now two and the symptoms have all but disappeared and have never seemed to cause her any discomfort.

I don't think you would be criticised for taking her to A&E - certainly I wasn't. I hope this gives you some reassurance though, I know how worrying it is.

She is now

Greensnail and Nigglewiggle, thanks for your responses. I think I will call NHS Direct if I noticed this happening again, and do what they recommend, whether it be straight to the A&E or to visit the GP. I asked my friend who's a GP herself who said the GP should really have at least listened to my daugther's heart. Oh well...

DS had this at about 8 months? I called NHS direct who called an ambulance, they became less blue on the way (luckily the crew had already seen them blue so could 'back me up'), but he did end up having bad tonsilitis diagnosed and was nearly dehydrated. He was given 2 types of stuff (paracetamol and the other one) to bring his temp down as it wasn't with just calpol too. I really don't think it does any harm to go to A & E, rather now than later tonight too. To be frank GPs really aren't all that great on the whole, too 'jack of all trades' - I have had more stuff misdiagnosed than I care to remember. Always follow your instincts.

My son gets this but usually when cold and then hands turn really dark when he warms up in the bath . I took him to GP who checked him over and said he was fine just his blood going to core of body due to cold. He does get blue hands and feet very quickly if cold, my daughter never had this. Hers turned grey once when she was sufferng from D and V and was a little dehydrated.

Thanks, ASecretLemonadeDrinker!

Thanks Thinker. My daughter's limps and lips turn blue too when she's cold, e.g. whenever we took her swimming in a public pool (rather than a hydrotherapy pool) but we were not worried because we knew it was due to the water beging a bit cold. It was never when she was indoors, though, until last weekend, when we started noticing her lips turned blue ocassionally.

With my DD it tended to happen just after she had eaten. They suggested this was because her blood was rushing to her stomach and so the effect was more pronounced at her extremities. She didn't necessarily have to be cold. They said it can also be triggered by stress in the same way that some people become flushed when under pressure.