When to Call a Doctor

 
Sooner or later, all new parents will have to deal with a sick child. Knowing when to contact a doctor can be a difficult task, especially for first time parents. This brief section will provide parents with some general guidelines that will aide in making the decision as to whether to contact or see a physician regarding the condition of their child. It will also provide a list of questions to prepare responses for when speaking to a physician. This section will be followed by a more detailed one that outlines various common ailments of infants, and how to diagnose and treat them.

When to Call a Doctor for a Newborn

A doctor should be immediately contacted for a newborn (birth - one month of age) if any of the following symptoms are present:

• The baby is rarely awake and does not wake for feedings. When the baby does wake, he seems disinterested in eating.

• The baby's rectal temperature is above 100. 4 Fahrenheit or below 97. 8 Fahrenheit.

• The baby cries for an unusually long period of time and the cries sound odd, or different than his usual cry
• In males, if the circumcision sight is showing signs of infection such as swelling and redness in the shaft of the penis, or signs of excessive bleeding

Call a doctor immediately if:

• The baby has not had two bowel movements in 24 hours

• The baby has not urinated at least four times in the last 24 hours

• Jaundice - sometimes present upon birth - has not subsided by the fourth day of life

• The baby's umbilical cord stump is read and swollen, or showing other signs of infection

When to Call a Doctor for an Infant

A doctor should be immediately called for an infant (one to twelve months of age) if any of the following symptoms are present:

• The baby does not seem to be growing adequately

• The baby is not reaching developmental milestones as expected (within a reasonable amount of time such as a month past)

• The mother is feeling depressed, unable to connect to the baby, or unable to nurture the baby

• The baby does not appear to be able to hear

• The baby is unable to say or understand words by the age of 12 months

Information to Prepare before Contacting or Visiting the baby's Doctor

Before calling or visiting the baby's doctor, there is some basic information that the mother should collect so that she can best answer any of the doctor's questions. This will help the doctor and his medical team decipher what is wrong with the baby and how to treat it. the mother should be prepared to answer the following questions:

• Why did you decide to call/visit the clinic today?

• What are your concerns about the baby's behavior and health?

• What changes in the baby have you noticed?

• Does the baby have a fever?

• Have you noticed changes in the baby's eating and sleeping patterns?

• Have you noticed changes in the number of, and consistency of the baby's bowel movements?

• Has the baby been exposed to illness recently?

• Is anyone in your household also sick at the moment?

• Have you tried to treat the baby's condition? How?

• Have you given the baby any medication? What, how much, and when?

• Does the baby have any known allergies

• Has the baby ever demonstrated symptoms such as this before?

How to tell if the baby is Sick

If the baby is sick he will display at least one of the following symptoms:

• The baby is irritable, cranky, and very lethargic

• The baby does not seem to be his usual self

• The baby's cries may sound different. They may be much louder and sharper than usual, or weaker and whiny

• The baby's skin will not stop peeling

• The baby has missed several feeding because he is sleeping or does not want to eat

• The baby has fits or convulsions

• The baby vomits/spits up more that he usually does after meals

• The baby has a severe rash, or one that looks different from his usual diaper related rashes

• The baby has diarrhea

• The baby is sleeping more than usual and when he is awake he seems tired and uninterested

• The baby's breathing sounds labored. He is congested, has a soar throat, and is hoarse.

• The baby appears flushed. His skin may be either hot and dry, or extremely sweaty

• The baby feels cold, and has a pale complexion

• The baby's temperature is over 100. 4 F

Print this page