HomeAnswersCardiologycongenital abnormalitiesWhat could cause bluish discoloration in a 3-year-old baby?

My 3-year-old baby gets blue discoloration around the mouth, lips, and nail beds. What is her problem?

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The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Answered by

Dr. Isaac Gana

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Vinodhini J.

Published At November 16, 2020
Reviewed AtJanuary 16, 2024

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

My daughter is 4 years old. She has been having blue spells since she was 9 months old. It occurs for about 20- 45 minutes. The left ventricle murmur was found when she was 3 years old. She goes blue around the mouth, lips, nail beds when the capillary refill is delayed. And sometimes she has mottled skin and purple discoloration. What could the issue be?

Answered by Dr. Isaac Gana

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Thanks for sharing her picture (attachment removed to protect patient identity). Please avoid worry. She will be fine. Based on your explanation, her symptoms are consistent with congenital heart disease. They often present with these symptoms. These defects are of various types. I advise you to upload her investigations or repeat an echo and get to me. There is a high chance of finding some abnormalities in the test to suggest exactly the type of defect.

Patient's Query

Thank you doctor,

Well, she had an echo at 9 months and was clear. They found a heart murmur at the age of 3 (left ventricle murmur). Does this lead you to suspect what this means? What type of defect could be causing this?

Answered by Dr. Isaac Gana

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

She most likely had a ventricular septal defect. This has resulted in a hole in the walls of the heart. The echo most likely did not pick up the defect because it was of a tiny size. It is common for the defects to either grow larger or smaller as the children grow older. Often, the hole will grow small and will not need surgical repair or medication. But if she continues to suffer these spells, she might need corrective surgery in the future. But this has to be confirmed by doing a repeat echo. After which treatment option can be confirmed. I hope this helps.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Isaac Gana
Dr. Isaac Gana

Cardiology

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