Dr. Jack,

I wish to respectfully disagree.  I have every reason to believe that
airway obstruction by mom's breast caused this baby to turn blue.

I once (and only once) saw a baby turn blue while I was assisting the
mother to breastfeed.  She had very large breasts.  I felt the
positioning was ok.  Mother was holding baby in cradle hold, not in
anyway restricting baby's ability to move his head in order to adjust
his position.  Baby began looking a little dusky.  As I watched, he
became a little more blue and took him off the breast.  He had continued
sucking and made no effot to come off the breast.  He quickly became
pink after being removed from the breast.  We put him in a football hold
to make it easier to protect his airway.  I am not aware of any further
problems with this baby.

Should I have called the doctor?  Is it possible that labor meds, use of
vacuum extractors during delivery compromise CNS enough (hopefully only
temporarily) that the baby is unable to protect his own airway by moving
his head?

Bonnie Jones, RN, ICCE, IBCLC
from the sunny S.W. USA