Bluish discoloration of the hands and feet commonly seen during the newborn period is known as?

• A. Peripheral cyanosis
• B. Cyanosis
• C. Pallor
• D. Acrocyanosis

Answer: (D)

In newborns, blue color limited to the hands and feet is acrocyanosis, a normal, self-limited peripheral vascular phenomenon. It happens because the peripheral circulation is still adapting after birth and cold environments promote vasoconstriction in the extremities, causing venous blood to appear blue there. The key is that the lips and mucous membranes stay pink, which shows this is a peripheral process rather than a body-wide oxygen problem. It typically appears in the first hours after birth and resolves within 24 to 48 hours (sometimes a bit longer as the baby stabilizes). If blue color is seen on the lips or tongue, or if there are signs of respiratory distress, that would suggest central cyanosis and warrants urgent assessment for hypoxemia or heart/lung disease. Pallor, by contrast, would point to a different issue like poor perfusion or anemia, not blue extremities.