Sick baby? When to seek medical attention

Babies can get infections and fevers. When they do, it can be hard for parents to know whether the baby is just being fussy or if the baby is ill and needs medical care. Here's information to help you know when to call your baby's healthcare professional and when to seek emergency care for a sick baby.

When to contact your baby's healthcare professional

An illness now and then in a baby who's healthy most of the time is nothing to worry about. But here are times when contacting your baby's healthcare professional is a good idea.

Baby won't eat

Call if your baby misses two or more feedings in a row or eats poorly.

Your baby is sleepier than usual

Call if your baby is sleeping more or is hard to awaken. Let the health professional know if your baby seems floppy, is crying more than usual or is very hard to calm.

Tender belly button or penis

Call if your baby's penis or belly button area changes color or starts to ooze or bleed.

Your baby has a fever

Call for any fever if your baby is younger than 3 months old.

Call if your baby is 3 to 6 months old, has a temperature up to 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) and seems sick. Also call if your baby has a temperature higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).

Call if your baby is 6 to 24 months old and has a temperature higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) that lasts more than one day. If your baby also has symptoms such as a cold, cough or diarrhea, you may want to call your baby's healthcare professional sooner. This might depend on how bad the symptoms are.

If you haven't already called your baby's healthcare professional, call if your baby's fever lasts more than three days.

Diarrhea or constipation

Call if your baby passes more than three stools that are very loose or watery.

Call if your baby passes stool less often for a few days. Also call if your baby seems to be struggling or uncomfortable or has a bloated belly.

Your baby is vomiting

Babies spit up sometimes. But vomiting is when the flow shoots out rather than dribbles from the mouth. Call if your baby vomits after feedings or your baby hasn't kept liquids down for eight hours.

Dehydration

Call if your baby cries with fewer tears, has fewer wet diapers or has a dry mouth. Your baby's soft spot on the head might look sunken.

Cold symptoms

Call if your baby has trouble breathing, ear pain or a cough with fast or hard breathing. Call for other symptoms that last more than 10 days.

Your baby has a rash

Call if the rash comes on quickly, blisters or looks infected. Call if your baby also has a fever.

Eye discharge

If one or both of your baby's eyes are red or swollen or have a discharge of mucus or pus, contact a healthcare professional.

You are worried

If you're worried about your baby's symptoms, make the call. After regular business hours, you may be able to use a 24-hour nurse line.

When to seek emergency care

Get care right away for:

• Bleeding that won't stop.
• Poisoning.
• Seizures.
• Large or deep cuts or burns. Also call if your baby breathed in smoke.
• Major mouth or facial injuries.
• A head injury that causes changes in consciousness or the size of the pupils. Also call if your baby is fussy, sluggish or vomits several times.
• Near drowning.
• Trouble swallowing, which may appear with drooling and spitting.

Other symptoms that need care right away include:

• Trouble breathing.
• Not being conscious, acting strangely, or withdrawing or seeming less alert.
• Skin or lips that look blue, purple or gray.
• Pain or fussiness that gets worse or doesn't go away.

During a checkup, ask your baby's healthcare professional what to do and where to go if your baby needs emergency care. Learn basic first aid, including CPR. And keep emergency phone numbers and addresses handy. If you have a cellphone, put medical and emergency numbers in your contacts.

Be ready to answer questions

To help the medical staff know what's happening with your baby, be ready to answer questions about:

• Your baby's symptoms. What led you to seek medical care for your baby?
• Your baby's medical history. Does your baby have allergies? Are your baby's vaccines current? Does your baby have ongoing conditions? Be ready to share details about your pregnancy and the baby's birth.
• Changes in your baby's feeding and stool passing. Have you noticed changes in your baby's eating or drinking patterns? Are there more or fewer wet diapers? Have you seen changes in the number, volume, or consistency of your baby's stool?
• Changes in your baby's temperature. What's your baby's temperature? How did you take it? At what time?
• Home remedies and medicines. Does your baby take any medicines, including those you can get without a prescription? If so, what, how much, and when? If you suspect your child ate poison or medicines, bring the bottle with you.
• Whether your baby's been around anyone who's ill. Has anyone ill been near your baby? This could be at home or at child care. Have you traveled with your baby recently? Do all your family members have recent vaccines, such as the COVID-19 vaccine and the flu vaccine?
• Injury. Has your baby had any falls or head bumps or been shaken?

Before you contact your baby's healthcare professional, be ready to take notes. Write down the advice you get. Have the number of your pharmacy ready too.

Being prepared will save you and your baby's healthcare professional time during a phone call, office visit, or in an emergency.