Charlotte,

Sometimes we have all sorts of questions about things we don’t want to happen to our baby. First, I would like to say that parents are always the best judges of what is different in your children. Changes in behaviour, a new reaction, a general state that doesn’t seem normal.

Health professionals need your observations to get the vital data they need to understand the problem presenting itself.

Now, to answer your question, I have put together a list of hints that can help guide you if you think you need to see a doctor quickly with a young baby. This list is non-exhaustive, and if you are still worried, it’s best to go to the doctor:

•       Fever in a baby under 3 months of age, see a doctor before giving them acetaminophen;
•       Fever that lasts more than 2-3 days despite using medication for a baby over three months;
•       Convulsions (during fever, for example, the child passes out while their arms and legs contract                involuntarily);
•       Repeated vomiting over 12 hours or heavy vomiting (perhaps with blood);
•       Incessant crying, inconsolable;
•       Very sleepy, apathetic, difficult to wake up (associated with a state of consciousness);
•       Different skin colour than usual: white, red or bluish, or skin reaction with spots all over their body;
•       Doesn’t react to your stimuli;
•       Diarrhea for more than 12 hours;
•       Blood in their stool;
•       If the baby falls;
•       If the baby has a foreign object in their nose, ear or mouth;
•       If the baby has a burn;
•       If they have respiratory issues: nasal indrawing, whistling, very high rhythm.

Charlotte, here are a few signs that can help you decide if you need to see a doctor. Don’t forget that as parents, you and your partner are the best judges if something is wrong with your baby.

Talk soon,

Marie

The Baby Expert