The difficult journey to the outside world that is birth often means that your infant looks a little rough in his early days. Your baby's skin may appear mottled, flaky and discolored as he adjusts to the world outside the womb. Most of the time, discolorations are temporary and nothing to worry about, but parents who notice their infant's skin to be bluish in color may become alarmed. A pediatrician can diagnose conditions in which bluish skin is a symptom and start treatment quickly, if required.
Conditions
Cyanosis and Mongolian spots are two conditions in which your infant's skin may appear bluish. Cyanosis is a situation in which your baby's oxygen level drops to saturations of below 90 percent, according to MedlinePlus. The blue coloring is most apparent in the lips, nail beds, gums and in the hands and feet, and can be caused by a variety of medical conditions that vary in seriousness.
Mongolian blue spots are birthmarks that look like blue bruises. Infants who have darker skin, especially those of Asian descent, are more likely to develop this type of blue skin discoloration than their lighter-complected counterparts. Mongolian blue spots are most often observed on the lower back of the baby, toward the buttocks, and are harmless.
You may notice your child's fingers and toes become blue when her extremities get very cold. This could be a sign of Raynaud's syndrome, a condition that is most often diagnosed in adults.
Causes of Cyanosis
Cyanosis is ultimately caused by a lack of oxygen, but the reason for the oxygen deprivation can stem from several different conditions. Congenital heart disease or problems with your baby's lungs can lead to cyanosis and the associated bluish coloring. Abnormal production of hemoglobin, the component of the blood that delivers oxygen throughout the body, can cause an infant to develop cyanosis.
Diagnosis
Cincinnati Children's Hospital explains that bluish discoloration of an infant's skin, especially in the case of cyanosis, is based on observation only. Your child's pediatrician will examine your child and ask you questions about other symptoms that may correspond to the blue markings, including any observation of low muscle tone or breathing difficulties. Mongolian spots are also diagnosed by visual examination. Blood tests may be performed to determine hemoglobin levels and blood oxygen levels. Referrals to heart or lung specialists are made when appropriate to determine if irregularities in organ function exist.
Treatment
Treatment for cold-induced cyanosis consists solely of keeping your infant warmly dressed and restricting exposure to colder temperatures. Mongolian spots, a benign discoloration of the skin, does not warrant treatment at all, and the marks may fade on their own over time. Cyanosis treatment varies widely, depending on the cause. Your baby may be given supplemental oxygen to help raise his saturation levels while the cause of the condition is determined. Compromised heart or lung function that produces cyanosis may be treated through medications or surgical intervention as needed.
Bluish Discoloration and Sleeping Postition
Parents of infants most likely have the phrase "back to sleep" ingrained in their brains, and with good reason. A 1997 issue of the journal "Pediatrics" reported the results of studying infants in Tasmania who slept on their backs and those who slept in a face-down, supine position. Babies who regularly slept face-down were found to have an increased risk of developing cyanosis than infants who were put to sleep on their backs.
References
- MedlinePlus: Skin discoloration -- bluish
- MedlinePlus: Mongolian blue spots
- Emergency Physicians Monthly: Blues Clues: Common Causes of Neonatal Cyanosis
- "Pediatrics"; Sleeping Position, Infant Apnea, and Cyanosis: A Population-Based Study; Anne-Louise Ponsonby, Terence Dwyer and David Couper; January 1997
- Cincinnati Children's: Cyanosis
