When your baby is brand-new (and your parenting skills are too), it's tempting to call your pediatrician for every sniffle and achoo — and that's okay. If you're unsure whether something is serious enough to warrant a call, it's best to pick up the phone and play it safe. And if your child is in day care or school, call at the first sign of symptoms to discuss appropriate precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eventually, you'll find that a drippy nose or even a mild fever can usually be treated at home without your doctor's help, but you should check with him or her if your baby won't eat, is waking much more frequently at night or cries excessively.
Until you learn the ropes, here are some tips on making the call about when to call.
Coughs
A cough is never fun, but you should check in with your doctor if your child has:
- A dry cough that has been hanging around for more than a week
- A wheezing cough
- A productive cough, meaning she's coughing up mucus
- Trouble breathing or shortness of breath
Congestion
In the case of a cold, the type of congestion can signal when you need to call. Alert the pediatrician if you see:
- A runny nose that lasts more than about 10 days
- Green mucus from both sides of the nose for more than 10 days
- Mucus streaked with blood
Constipation
It's normal for breastfed babies to go several days without pooping, or to strain and grunt — as long as when they do poop, it's soft. It’s time to call the pediatrician if:
- Your baby passes hard, small balls of poop (think deer droppings) regularly
- You notice blood in the stool
Diarrhea and vomiting
A few episodes are usually not a big deal. Seek your doctor's help if either vomiting or diarrhea (very watery, sometimes mucus-tinged stools, occurring more frequently than your child's normal pattern):
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- Lasts for more than 24 hours
- Is accompanied by a fever
- If stools contain blood
Call right away if you see signs of dehydration, which include:
- Few or no wet diapers
- Urine that is darker than usual
- Dry skin
- Lack of saliva or tears
- Sunken fontanelle (the soft spot on your baby's head) or eyes
Fever
For babies under 3 months old, call the doctor right away for any fever and go to the emergency room if you can't reach your doctor. For babies under 6 months old, you still need to call for advice for any fever. Beyond six months, call if the fever:
- Is higher than 102°F (taken rectally)
- Has been low (under 102°F) but suddenly spikes
- Was preceded by a cold
- Isn't responding to medication (acetaminophen or ibuprofen, as directed by your doctor)
- Lasts more than 24 hours and there are no other symptoms; or three days, if accompanied by mild cold or flu symptoms
When in doubt, it never hurts to call your pediatrician and ensure your child is getting the right level of care, whether it’s at home with you or in the hands of the pros. Plus, your pediatrician really doesn't mind hearing from you.
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