Grey baby syndrome, Blue baby syndrome, Bronze baby syndrome, Carbon baby syndrome, Blueberry muffin baby syndrome – Decoded

 

 

Grey baby syndrome :

The grey baby syndrome is a rare condition almost exclusively seen in neonates and very young infants receiving high doses of CHLORAMPHENICOL.

Toxic blood levels of chloramphenicol occurs due to :

• inadeqaute conjugation of chloramphenicol with glucuronic acid because of inadequate activity of glucuronyl transferase in the newborn liver and
• decreased renal excretion of the unconjugated chloramphenicol  leads

The infant is cyanosed, is acidotic, has cold peripheries and has the signs of all of marked hyponia, poor feeding, vomiting, loose stools and a distended abdomen.

Bronze baby  syndrome:

When infants with cholestatic jaundice are exposed to phototherapy they may develop a greyish-brown discoloration of skin.

Probably due to accumulation of porphyrins & other metabolites (formed by action of phototherapy) in plasma of infants who develop cholestasis.Not all infants with cholestasis will develop it.

1. Dark, grayish brown discoloration of skin
2. May persist for months
3. Associated with Conjugated Hyperbilirubinemia

Carbon baby syndrome:

Universal acquired melanosis is a rare form of hypermelanosis which was synonymously referred to as "Carbon baby".A form of progressive mucocutaneous pigmentation caused by singly dispersed melanosomes within keratinocytes.

Blue baby syndrome:

Here blue baby implies blue due to cyanosis.

It can be due to:

• cyanotic heart diseases or
• methemoglobinemia.

Blueberry muffin baby syndrome:

Blueberry muffin baby is a term used to describe neonates whose skin resembles a blueberry muffin (i.e., the skin shows diffuse, dark blue to violaceous purpuric macules and papules). The spots represent dermal hematopoiesis and are a sign of serious systemic disease, most often congenital infection. The congenital infection most commonly associated with this appearance is congenital rubella.check this dermatology link for a detailed explanation.

congenital viral infections	TORCH acronym for congenital infections: toxoplasmosis, other (syphilis, parvovirus, and other viral), rubella (the commonest cause), cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex.
hematologic dyscrasias	Hemolytic disease of the newborn (ABO or Rh incompatibility) and hereditary spherocytosis.
Neoplastic disease	Neuroblastoma Leukemia cutis Langerhans' cell histiocytosis Congenital rhabdomyosarcoma with cutaneous metastases
cutaneous vascular anomalies.	MULTIPLE CUTANEOUS HEMANGIOMAS OF INFANCY (DIFFUSE HEMANGIOMATOSIS, BENIGN HEMANGIOMATOSIS) MULTIFOCAL LYMPHANGIOENDOTHELIOMATOSIS BLUE RUBBER BLEB NEVUS SYNDROME GLOMANGIOMA/GLOMUVENOUS MALFORMATION