Causes of black baby lips to watch out for

Generally, the lips have a pink color. However, there are many factors that cause lip color to change, one of which is blackness. This condition usually affects smokers. However, it can also occur in children and even babies. Approximately, what causes babies to have black lips?

The cause of the baby's lips are black

Do you know why lips have a pink color? The lips are surrounded by capillaries that carry blood back to the heart. This area is covered by a thin skin that makes it appear reddish. However, this color can change by a variety of factors, namely habits and health problems.

Not only does it turn pale white or turn blue, the color of the lips can also turn black or darker. In adults this condition is very common in people who have a smoking habit.

Not only adults, children and even newborns can also have lips that are black or darker in color. Here are some of the common causes of babies having dark or dark lips.

Cyanosis

Cyanosis doesn't actually make your baby's lips dark black. Perhaps it is more accurately described as bluish. This condition indicates that the baby is not getting enough oxygen in the blood and needs immediate medical care.

In addition to blue lips, tongue and skin can also turn blue. Usually cyanosis, will occur in children with health problems, such as:

Asthma and pneumonia
The airway is tight due to choking
Have heart problems
Seizures for a long time

Asphyxia

Asfiction also makes the baby's lips blue, so it looks black or dark. This condition occurs when the brain and other organs of the body lack oxygen-carrying blood.

Without sufficient oxygen and nutrients, cells in the body cannot work properly. As a result, waste products, such as acids build up in the cells and cause damage.

When asfiction occurs, not only will the baby's lips turn black, he will also show other symptoms, such as:

Very weak or no breathing
Skin color may be bluish, gray, or very pale
Weakened heart rate
Seizures

Asphyxia that occurs after the birth of a baby is usually caused by many things. Generally, a problem with the placenta, a serious infection, or the mother has blood pressure that is too high or low.

Babies born with this condition will usually be assisted by means of breathing in order to get enough oxygen.

Other possible causes

Apart from the two common conditions that have been mentioned above, other diseases and conditions can also cause your little one to have black lips, including:

Excess iron

This condition is generally rare in newborns (less than 28 days) because it is a long-term effect.

Excessive iron intake in babies can make the skin turn black. This is because the body's iron levels exceed normal limits or the child receives an iron-rich blood transfusion.

This can also be caused by the fact that the child has hemochromatosis, which is a hereditary condition that causes the body to be very active in absorbing iron from food.

This condition may cause the baby's lip color to become darker and black.

Vitamin B12 deficiency

Just like excess iron, vitamin B 12 deficiency is also usually rare in newborns who are less than 28 days old. This is because a lack of vitamin B12 takes a long time to cause symptoms.

Vitamin B12 helps to tone the skin more evenly. If deficient, skin color can change. This condition can cause dark spots on the skin, including on the lips.

Deficiency of this vitamin can occur due to insufficient nutritional intake or health problems that make it difficult for the body to absorb vitamin B12.

Injury

Trauma and injury to a child can cause the lips to turn purple or black. Dry, chapped, and badly damaged lips, including burns, can also darken your child's lips.

Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome

Peutz-Jeghers syndrome is a non-cancerous growth called hamartomatous polyp in the digestive tract, namely in the intestine and stomach.

Children or babies with this syndrome often have small black spots on the lips that make the lips look black. In fact, these spots can even spread around the eyes, nostrils, around the anus, feet, and hands.

However, as you get older the dark spots will fade. Bowel obstruction (obstruction), chronic bleeding, and abdominal pain can occur as polyps get worse. The risk of developing cancer also increases in people with this condition.

Addison's disease

Addison's disease occurs when the adrenal glands don't produce enough of the hormones cortisol and aldosterone. As a result, the skin color on the body will turn darker.

This condition allows babies to have a black lip color.