What causes babies hands to turn blue? (2024)

What does it mean when a baby's hands are blue?

If you are concerned about a blue tinge to your baby's skin, check their entire body. An off-and-on blue cast to the hands and feet, with pink skin elsewhere, is not a sign of a problem, but rather just a little bit of immaturity of the circulatory system, which will go away over time.

Blue Baby Syndrome 101

Infants under 12 months of age that eat foods high in nitrate or drink water with nitrate in it are more likely to have methemoglobinemia. Methemoglobinemia can be also caused by certain medications (e.g., benzocaine, dapsone) and chemicals (e.g., aniline, naphthalene).

Red blood is oxygen rich, but blood with decreased oxygen turns blue or purple. Red blood flowing through the tiny vessels in the skin produces a healthy red-pink color. Blue blood is oxygen poor and causes a bluish-purple tint to the skin.

Blue baby syndrome, also known as cyanosis, is when your baby's skin has a bluish discoloration, especially when they cry. The discoloration is most obvious in your baby's lips and hands. This condition is caused when there is a shortage of oxygen in your baby's blood.

Does cyanosis go away on its own? Cyanosis is a sign of low blood oxygen levels or poor circulation. It can be a serious sign that needs immediate medical attention to find and treat the cause. It may go away once your blood oxygen levels and circulation return to normal.

Studies show that the long-term survival of "blue babies" and other patients with congenital heart defects is reasonably good. Over 90 percent of the patients are alive 20 years after the first conduit operation, while the mortality rate within 30 days after the operation is less than 1 percent, reoperations included.

The lasting effects of insufficient oxygen (“born blue”) depend on how long the baby was without oxygen and how quickly treatment was started. Babies can suffer cell damage right away. Additional damage can occur because of toxins released from damaged cells after the flow of oxygen and blood to the brain is restored.

Signs of abnormal airway protection the nurses watch for and you should too are the following: babies should never lose consciousness while choking, babies should not hold their breath longer than 15 seconds, the skin around the mouth may turn a bluish shade but the lips and tongue should not appear blue, babies should ...

Is it normal for babies hands and feet to be purple?

A baby's hands and feet may stay bluish in color for several days. This is a normal response to a baby's underdeveloped blood circulation. But blue coloring of other parts of the body isn't normal.

It is a common finding and may persist for 24 to 48 hours. Central cyanosis — Central cyanosis is caused by reduced arterial oxygen saturation. Newborn infants normally have central cyanosis until up to 5 to 10 minutes after birth, as the oxygen saturation rises to 85 to 95 percent by 10 minutes of age [5].

The most common cause of blue baby syndrome is water contaminated with nitrates. After a baby drinks formula made with nitrate-rich water, the body converts the nitrates into nitrites. These nitrites bind to the hemoglobin in the body, forming methemoglobin, which is unable to carry oxygen.

Newborns and babies under the age of 3 months still have new blood circulation systems. This means that in a baby there is less blood (and heat) getting to the parts farthest from the heart, the hands and feet. Baby's new little body is also still busy developing their brain, lungs, and other parts.

Acrocyanosis happens when small blood vessels shrink in response to cold. This is very normal in infants during the first few days after birth. In older children, circumoral cyanosis often appears when they go outside in cold weather or get out of a warm bath. This type of cyanosis should go away once they warm up.

What Is the Treatment for Cyanosis? For most children, discoloration is due to acrocyanosis and doesn't need to be treated. It will usually go away on its own. Some children, though, may need to receive oxygen or a machine to help them breathe.

More commonly, it's only certain areas -- like the hands or feet -- that has a blue tint. This is usually perfectly normal and just reflects the baby's somewhat immature blood circulation.

Often, cyanosis is not serious. However, some underlying causes are. A person should seek medical attention if they develop the symptoms.

About 75% of babies born with a critical CHD are expected to survive to one year of age. About 69% of babies born with critical CHDs are expected to survive to 18 years of age. Survival and medical care for babies with critical CHDs are improving.

How can lack of oxygen affect a baby?

Birth asphyxia, the condition in which a baby is deprived of oxygen at birth, is a leading cause of infant brain damage. Brain damage is a serious health concern, leading to lifelong consequences for a child. Oxygen deprivation at birth can cause intellectual deficits and learning disabilities.

In particular, it has been found that children exposed to perinatal hypoxic-ischemic conditions are at increased risk of developing autism spectrum disorder. There may be a correlation between autism spectrum disorder and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).

When a baby is deprived of an adequate supply of oxygen, the tissue and cells within the body, particularly in the brain, start to die resulting in permanent brain damage. Permanent disabilities can result when the oxygen deprivation and brain damage reach a certain level.

SIDS occurs between the first month and before the first year of an infant's life. Infants aged 2-4 months endanger greater risk of SIDS, while most deaths occur in infants during the sixth month of their life⁶.

"Infants don't come with a manual, and they do things parents wouldn't expect," Tieder said. For example, it's part of normal infant physiology to stop breathing for brief periods, or to occasionally turn blue at the mouth or feet, he said. Sometimes infants sleep so deeply that they appear unresponsive.

Most babies with mild HIE recover quickly. If your baby has mild HIE, doctors will monitor them closely to check that they are stable and do not need any more treatment. If your baby has moderate to severe HIE, there is a risk of death or long-lasting damage to the brain.

Babies and young children can also develop Raynaud's, although it is rare. For many young children diagnosed with Raynaud's, it is little more than a nuisance. But as it isn't a common disease at this stage in life, it is always best to ask your doctor for further tests to rule out an underlying cause.

What do purple hands indicate?

Cyanosis occurs when there's too little oxygen in the blood. Oxygen-rich blood is deep red and causes your skin's normal color. Under-oxygenated blood is bluer and causes your skin to look bluish purple. Cyanosis can develop quickly due to an acute health problem or external factor.

A: Generally skin color changes from pink to blue or purple when the area is cold or is not receiving enough oxygenated blood. Although abnormal in adults, the color and temperature change can be normal in children even up to a few years old.

Q. How long does Cyanosis last? It is a common finding and may persist for 24 to 48 hours. Central cyanosis caused by reduced arterial oxygen saturation lasts for nearly 5 to 10 minutes in a newborn infant as the oxygen saturation rises to 85 to 95 percent by 10 minutes of age.

Cyanosis is characterized by bluish discoloration of skin and mucous membranes. Cyanosis is usually a sign of an underlying condition rather than being a disease in itself. The most common symptoms of the condition are bluish discoloration of the lips, fingers, and toes.

Today the disease has all but disappeared, with reports appearing only sporadically in the literature. Only two cases have been reported since the mid-1960s and none since 2000.

Pale Skin/Blue Coloring

The heart is what pumps blood through our veins. When the heart isn't working properly, blood circulation could be poor. If the blood isn't able to circulate through the body regularly, the skin won't look as vibrant. It may even feel somewhat cold to the touch.

A baby's hands and feet may stay bluish in color for several days. This is a normal response to a baby's underdeveloped blood circulation. But blue coloring of other parts of the body isn't normal.

In severe cases, blue baby syndrome can even cause death.

Do babies turn blue when cold?

Acrocyanosis happens when small blood vessels shrink in response to cold. This is very normal in infants during the first few days after birth. In older children, circumoral cyanosis often appears when they go outside in cold weather or get out of a warm bath. This type of cyanosis should go away once they warm up.

If the bluish-purple hue is found only on an infant's feet, hands, and around their lips, this is normal in young children and babies. It's known as acrocyanosis. In their first few hours of life, many newborns have acrocyanosis.

Babies and young children can also develop Raynaud's, although it is rare. For many young children diagnosed with Raynaud's, it is little more than a nuisance. But as it isn't a common disease at this stage in life, it is always best to ask your doctor for further tests to rule out an underlying cause.

Cyanosis occurs when there's too little oxygen in the blood. Oxygen-rich blood is deep red and causes your skin's normal color. Under-oxygenated blood is bluer and causes your skin to look bluish purple. Cyanosis can develop quickly due to an acute health problem or external factor.

Studies show that the long-term survival of "blue babies" and other patients with congenital heart defects is reasonably good. Over 90 percent of the patients are alive 20 years after the first conduit operation, while the mortality rate within 30 days after the operation is less than 1 percent, reoperations included.

The lasting effects of insufficient oxygen (“born blue”) depend on how long the baby was without oxygen and how quickly treatment was started. Babies can suffer cell damage right away. Additional damage can occur because of toxins released from damaged cells after the flow of oxygen and blood to the brain is restored.

Signs of abnormal airway protection the nurses watch for and you should too are the following: babies should never lose consciousness while choking, babies should not hold their breath longer than 15 seconds, the skin around the mouth may turn a bluish shade but the lips and tongue should not appear blue, babies should ...

Your baby's blood oxygen levels are measured by placing an adhesive strip around your baby's thumb, wrist, hand, toe or foot. The strip has a red light on it that shines through the baby's skin. The strip is then attached to a monitor (called a “pulse oximeter”) by a long wire or cord.

Which of the following is responsible for blue baby syndrome?

Blue Baby Syndrome is an illness that begins when large amounts of nitrates in water are ingested by an infant and converted to nitrite by the digestive system. The nitric then reacts with oxyhemoglobin to form methemoglobin, which cannot carry oxygen.

Cyanosis, or blue spells, is when a reduced amount of blood flows into the lungs. Since blood carries oxygen, less oxygen is delivered to the body. As a result, a child may appear blue or bluish. The colour is caused by high levels of reduced (deoxygenated) hemoglobin in the blood near the surface of the skin.

A: Generally skin color changes from pink to blue or purple when the area is cold or is not receiving enough oxygenated blood. Although abnormal in adults, the color and temperature change can be normal in children even up to a few years old.