When to Call the Baby’s Doctor

Knowing when to call your baby’s doctor can be worrisome. More likely than not, whatever you observe happening with your baby is normal, but what happens if it isn’t? There is no need to agonize over the decision to call the doctor. If you are worried about something, make the call.

Here are some common reasons to make the call to your baby’s doctor.

If your baby has not urinated in the first 24 hours
If there is fewer than 6 wet diapers within a 24 hour period
If your baby has not had a bowel movement in the first 48 hours
Diarrhea (This is hard to detect especially with breastfed newborns). Diarrhea usually has a foul odor and can be streaked with mucus and/or blood. If baby’s bowels are watery or looser than normal, or are far more frequent than normal.
Temperature above 100.4 degrees F or below 97.8F, taken rectally
If there is trouble breathing or very rapid breathing (more than 60 breaths per minute)
If there is pulling in of the ribs while breathing
Wheezing, whistling, or grunting sounds when breathing
If baby’s lips or fingernails appear blue
Persistent cough
Refusing several feedings, or is eating poorly
Vomiting (not necessarily spit-up)
Nosebleeds
Sunken soft spot the your baby’s head
Unusually sleepy, or is very hard to waken (this can be a hard call since most newborns and infants normally require a lot of sleep)
Lethargic, unusual limpness or floppy
If baby seems anxious, jittery
Lengthy crying and very difficult to console
Greenish or yellowish discharge from the eyes
Red skin or pus around the umbilical cord
Yellow color in whites of the eyes
Yellowish skin (jaundice)
Circumcision problems. Bleeding from circumcision area, more than expected. Blood stains on baby’s diaper that are larger than nickel.