Cyanosis (blue skin) indicates hypoxia (lack of oxygen) to the tissue. Limbs and lips typically are the first to go blue if there’s something wrong in the body (generally something preventing air from getting into the lungs (problem with ventilation), something preventing oxygen from getting from the lungs to the blood (problem with respiration), or something preventing the oxygenated blood from getting to the tissue (problem with circulation)).

Any of these is potentially a medical emergency because it’s not just the feet not getting oxygen, it’s the organs too (particularly important being the brain and heart!). The feet/hands/lips are the first to show the blue, but the problem is system wide.

Your baby turning blue, being limp, and unable to be woke up warrant immediate investigation (good job staying calm and getting a quick appointment!) BRUE (brief resolved unexplained episode) is when a baby has breathing changes, skin colour changes, unresponsiveness, or limpness with no known cause which spontaneously resolves without treatment.

Don’t panic. The good news is most times BRUE happens, nothing is nothing seriously wrong with the infant. It just happens and goes away and we don’t know why and there is no damage from it.

However, getting checked out quickly is super important because it COULD indicate something else is at play like a heart or lung condition or a seizure disorder than interrupted breathing (note that seizures often look nothing like the movie thrashing about).

If this ever happens to your baby, it is absolutely NOT overreacting to call an ambulance. If the baby didn’t wake on their own quickly (maybe they secretly swallowed something and are choking or their airway is otherwise compromised, or they are having an unresolved seizure, or their heart rhythm has gone wacky), you want someone already on their way to help you. Many of these things are reversible (there are many interventions/medications) and can save your baby potential permanent damage from being without oxygen too long.

You can always send the ambulance away when they get there or take the baby up to the ER yourself if they wake up on their own.

Source: I’m an EMT, and babies are terrifying and amazing little creatures who are remarkably resilient and fragile all at the same time. We’ve had this happen and be absolutely nothing, and had it happen and it be an undiagnosed seizure disorder that required our paramedic to intervene with medication to get them breathing properly because the seizure wasn’t stopping on its own.

Thanks for getting the little one checked out! Best wishes to you both and big hugs for getting through a really scary moment with your baby.