Your newborn: When to call your baby's health care provider

Call your baby's health care provider right away if your baby has any of these signs:

• breathing difficulties, like breathing too fast or too slow (A newborn normally breathes between 40 and 60 times a minute.)
• grunting or whistling when he breathes
• blue color around the lips and tongue

Tip

Call your baby's health care provider whenever you have a concern about your baby's health and well-being.

• yellow or pale skin that is different from what you have seen before
• a temperature higher than 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit (taken rectally)
• a temperature of 97.6 degrees Fahrenheit or lower
• continuous crying that cannot be comforted
• a change in activity level such as becoming unusually listless, tired, restless, or fussy
• refusing to eat for more than two feedings
• frequent or forceful vomiting
• more than five liquid stools per day if formula fed, more than eight if breastfed
• fewer than four wet diapers in a day when your baby is older than three days
• unusual skin rashes, especially blisters
• red skin or smelly discharge around the umbilical cord
• bleeding, swelling, or foul-smelling discharge from the penis after circumcision (boy)
• reddened skin on the shaft of the penis (boy).

  If you call your baby's health care provider because your baby is ill, be ready to give the information that appears in the chart below.

  
  

  Question	Answer
  What is your baby's age and approximate weight? Does you baby have a fever? How did you take the temperature? How long has your baby been ill? What are the signs and symptoms? How did you take the temperature? Is there any other important health history Is your baby allergic to anything? What is your pharmacy phone number?	yes no If yes, what is it?

Related Links

Pediatric specialists

Family medicine specialists

First published: 10/04/2002
Last updated: 08/01/2008

Reviewed by: Allina Patient Education experts