Blue Lips

[Unregistered]

I have a new daycare family- just started 2 weeks ago.

Fast forward to after naptime...DCG is 3, almost 4. I get her out of her bed and she is shivering. My first thought was "great, dope and drop. Here comes her fever"- it reminded me of a shiver like with a fever. They were out last week with colds. It looked like shivering with a fever, if that makes sense. I keep feeling her head. No fever. However, her hands were FREEZING. Breathing did not seem different than if it was just a stuffy nose to me. Her hands/nailbeds were not blue at all, just freezing. Then I notice blue lips! It was right near pick up time and mom was already on her way. When she got here and I explained that the girl woke up freezing mom says "Oh, were her lips blue?" Um...YES! She says "we must have forgotten to tell you. Sometimes that happens with her. We have taken her to a cardiologist and everything checked out normal." She also explained that it has only happened a few times, it is similar to how some people blush and that when it does they warm her up with lots of blankets.

How does one forget to tell a caregiver this? I about near had a heart attack.

Thank goodness nothing happened but the whole thing left me feeling a bit shaken. I am almost wondering if I should have talked to her about getting her checked out and bringing a doctor's note? Or would that be overkill? They are scheduled to come back tomorrow afternoon.

Has anyone else experienced this?

[Baby Beluga]

I have a new daycare family- just started 2 weeks ago.

Fast forward to after naptime...DCG is 3, almost 4. I get her out of her bed and she is shivering. My first thought was "great, dope and drop. Here comes her fever"- it reminded me of a shiver like with a fever. They were out last week with colds. It looked like shivering with a fever, if that makes sense. I keep feeling her head. No fever. However, her hands were FREEZING. Breathing did not seem different than if it was just a stuffy nose to me. Her hands/nailbeds were not blue at all, just freezing. Then I notice blue lips! It was right near pick up time and mom was already on her way. When she got here and I explained that the girl woke up freezing mom says "Oh, were her lips blue?" Um...YES! She says "we must have forgotten to tell you. Sometimes that happens with her. We have taken her to a cardiologist and everything checked out normal." She also explained that it has only happened a few times, it is similar to how some people blush and that when it does they warm her up with lots of blankets.

How does one forget to tell a caregiver this? I about near had a heart attack.

Thank goodness nothing happened but the whole thing left me feeling a bit shaken. I am almost wondering if I should have talked to her about getting her checked out and bringing a doctor's note? Or would that be overkill? They are scheduled to come back tomorrow afternoon.

Has anyone else experienced this?

I don't think it is overkill at all.

Blue lips can mean a lot of things, I would want to know from the child's doc what is considered normal for this child and what is considered emergent and warrants a call to the parents.

I've only dealt with blue lips once. 4 year old was super lethargic, started shivering and his lips turned blue. In the process of calling mom/dad I checked temp and it quickly rose. Turns out he has croup - his lips were blue because his oxygen levels were lower than normal.

ETA: this guy did not have the typical symptoms of croup. Totally fine at drop off and two hours later was a different child.

[Ariana]

I have experienced this with my own child and it was nothing to worry about. Her core temperature just went really low and we just warmed her back up. There was no lethargy or laboured breathing or anything like that and from what I have read this can be perfectly normal in kids because their nervous systems are not fully mature. Shivering is a sign that her lips were probably blue from having a lowered core temp not from lack of oxygen.

Were you guys outside for a while before nap? Was the room she was in colder than normal? Was she playing in water and got wet? Anything that might have caused her core tempt to go down?

[Unregistered]

I don't think it is overkill at all.

Blue lips can mean a lot of things, I would want to know from the child's doc what is considered normal for this child and what is considered emergent and warrants a call to the parents.

I've only dealt with blue lips once. 4 year old was super lethargic, started shivering and his lips turned blue. In the process of calling mom/dad I checked temp and it quickly rose. Turns out he has croup - his lips were blue because his oxygen levels were lower than normal.

ETA: this guy did not have the typical symptoms of croup. Totally fine at drop off and two hours later was a different child.

Oh wow, that had to be scary! I think I will go ahead and ask for a note. I worry about offending them, which I think is just me worrying about something more than I need to (typical me!), but I think they would understand.

[Unregistered]

I have experienced this with my own child and it was nothing to worry about. Her core temperature just went really low and we just warmed her back up. There was no lethargy or laboured breathing or anything like that and from what I have read this can be perfectly normal in kids because their nervous systems are not fully mature. Shivering is a sign that her lips were probably blue from having a lowered core temp not from lack of oxygen.

Were you guys outside for a while before nap? Was the room she was in colder than normal? Was she playing in water and got wet? Anything that might have caused her core tempt to go down?

I am so relieved to read that, though I am sorry you guys had to go through it.

Her mom is sending some blankets for naptime. Oddly though, last time they were here, she was using a princess sleeping bag and was too hot in that and woke up sweating. She did use a thinner blanket today, so hopefully the one they send is a happy medium!

No! That's what I couldn't figure out! The only thing different was the blanket. The weather may be a bit cooler now but I don't think anything drastic.

[daycare]

Holy moly I'm sorry you had that happen

I would immediately require docs note with diagnosis and treatment plan. Along with protocol.

Next time make sure you cover this prior to enrollment. Ask the does your child have any allergies, medical issues, conditions or etc BEFORE you enroll. If they say yes. Get that doctors orders in your hand before they can start.

I tell parents please think of everything because failure to disclose upfront will result in immediate termination.
I would require that note before I would provide care again. That just doesn't sound good at all.

[mommyneedsadayoff]

i would definitely require a note and any added info on what to do if it happens again. ime, blue lips mean you are too cold or lacking oxygen, so its not overkill to cover your bases and it is something the parents should have told you from the get go.

[daycare]

i would definitely require a note and any added info on what to do if it happens again. ime, blue lips mean you are too cold or lacking oxygen, so its not overkill to cover your bases and it is something the parents should have told you from the get go.

That's what I was thinking, lack of oxygen.
I had pneumonia last year and my lips had turn blue due to lack of oxygen. I ended up in the hospital for 2 days and came home on a pulmonary machine. There are so many possibilities, don't risk a parents word, even though they mean well.

[Baby Beluga]

Oh wow, that had to be scary! I think I will go ahead and ask for a note. I worry about offending them, which I think is just me worrying about something more than I need to (typical me!), but I think they would understand.

I understand this line of thinking and often find myself in an internal struggle too. But when it comes to the health of a child you want to think of safety and liability first. You want the child to be safe and you want to keep yourself and your business safe. So if the parents are offended by that...oh well

[Denali]

I have a new daycare family- just started 2 weeks ago.

Fast forward to after naptime...DCG is 3, almost 4. I get her out of her bed and she is shivering. My first thought was "great, dope and drop. Here comes her fever"- it reminded me of a shiver like with a fever. They were out last week with colds. It looked like shivering with a fever, if that makes sense. I keep feeling her head. No fever. However, her hands were FREEZING. Breathing did not seem different than if it was just a stuffy nose to me. Her hands/nailbeds were not blue at all, just freezing. Then I notice blue lips! It was right near pick up time and mom was already on her way. When she got here and I explained that the girl woke up freezing mom says "Oh, were her lips blue?" Um...YES! She says "we must have forgotten to tell you. Sometimes that happens with her. We have taken her to a cardiologist and everything checked out normal." She also explained that it has only happened a few times, it is similar to how some people blush and that when it does they warm her up with lots of blankets.

How does one forget to tell a caregiver this? I about near had a heart attack.

Thank goodness nothing happened but the whole thing left me feeling a bit shaken. I am almost wondering if I should have talked to her about getting her checked out and bringing a doctor's note? Or would that be overkill? They are scheduled to come back tomorrow afternoon.

Has anyone else experienced this?

My 30 month old DD's lips, hands, and toes turn blue if she gets to cold... and not cold cold, but just a little chilled. Like getting out of the bath can trigger it. It's some there is a name for it but I'm drawing a blank right now, is common in Alaskan Natives I guess. Nothing to worry about, just have to put extra socks on her feet and dress her warmer then the average child.

Scared the ever living hell out of me when she started turning blue during dinner. 😞 It was just me and my two kids. My DH was gone for a 24 hour business shift and had the car (only have the one), mother-in-law was out of town. So that left my side of the family as my only ride other then calling 911. But DD is acting fine, playing and giggling like she finds mommy' break down funny while I call my mom (a RN at our local hospital) freaking out and she's trying to keep me calm while she's gets in her car to drives the 15 minutes in -20 weather to my house.

got to the ER at about 6:30pm and it was almost midnight by the time we left to go home with a "she seems ok, take her to her regular doctor in the morning." Closed daycare the next day and had my mom spend the night to get us to the doctor the next day, only to be told "oh yeah she's fine. She just has something called XXX. Just dress her warmer then topical and you'll be good."

-- I tell everyone that might be watching her alone about her going blue and what to do, so they don't freak out. I can't believe that they wouldn't have said anything to you. Seems pretty darn important... if DD was in a daycare I'd have brought a doctors note along with a fact sheet regarding what she has so the daycare was aware.