How to tell if your newborn is sick

Newborns don’t come with an operator’s manual and if you’re a first-time parent it can be difficult to work out if your baby is sick – especially since most newborns seem to cry most of the time!

It’s likely your family, and any friends with babies, will try to reassure you by telling you that you’ll ‘just know’ if something isn’t right but often this is no help. After all, everything about your baby and being a mom is unfamiliar to you in those first days and weeks, so it might be hard to feel confident in your ability to recognize the often minor changes that can tell you that your newborn is ill.

As you become more experienced you will develop a keen instinct for the ties when your baby is unwell, but until then here are gurgle’s guidelines for monitoring your newborn’s health and wellness…

Is she behaving differently?

All young babies cry but if your baby is sick she may do so more or less than usual (if she’s crying less than usual she may also seem listless and might not be interested in feeding).

Her cry also may sound different: it may be more frenzied and high-pitched, or take on a whining note. You’ll probably also have noticed that your baby tends to cry more at certain times of the day – the notorious ‘arsenic hour’ for example, from 6pm onwards. If this is the case with your baby then hearing her cry continuously at a different time of the day could signal that she isn’t feeling well. She may also seem more fussy and fretful even when she isn’t crying.

Is she refusing feeds?

Is your baby feeding less frequently and/or not taking in as much milk when she feeds? Has she vomited and if so was it projectile (forceful) vomiting?

Are her diapers different?

You can tell so much from a diaper! Is your baby showing signs of constipation (the poop will be hard and pellet-like if she’s bottlefed, or more solid than usual in a breastfed baby). Does she have diarrhea, with frequent explosive watery pooping? Is she urinating less frequently than usual? If so, she could be dehydrated – giveaway signs are her diapers feeling much lighter when you change her, and any urine she has passed may be much darker than usual or smell stronger.

Is she breathing normally?

Does the baby seem to be having trouble breathing, either panting and seeming breathless, or making a wheezing sound as she breathes? Does she have a cough? If so, is it a barking cough, which could indicate croup? Is she congested (a red flag for this is difficulty breastfeeding since a blocked-up nose means she’ll have to keep latching off so she can breathe). Does she have a runny nose?

How does she look?

Is her skin pale or more flushed than usual? Does she have a rash anywhere and if so, what does it look like? A purplish blotchy or pinprick rash that doesn’t fade when pressed with a glass is a symptom of meningitis – this is a medical emergency so if your baby develops this type of rash take her to your local ER immediately. Do your baby’s eyes look dull or staring, or does she have any discharge from them?

Does she have a fever?

Check your baby’s temperature – if it’s over 100°F then she may be running a fever. Call your pediatrician for advice on giving fever-relieving medication such as infant acetaminophen or ibuprofen, as these are not usually recommended for newborns.

6 ways to keep your newborn healthy

1. Wash your hands before you handle her, even if it’s a diaper change and you’ll be washing them afterwards.
2. Ensure that sick family members and friends keep away from your baby so that she isn’t exposed to their germs. This is particularly important with colds and flu as these are easily spread.
3. Keep your baby’s toys clean by regularly washing them with soap and hot water.
Take a toy to the pediatrician’s office so your baby doesn’t handle any toys that other sick children may have played with.
4. If you breastfeed and express breast milk, always put your breast pump in the dishwasher between uses, or sterilize the separated parts in a pan of boiling water on the stovetop for at least five minutes.
5. If your baby uses a pacifier, stock up on them so she can have a clean, one if the one she’s using falls on the floor. Never give your baby back a pacifier that has fallen on the ground and never put it in your own mouth to ‘clean’ it if she does drop it. Wash pacifiers in the dishwasher each day, or boil in a pan of water on the stovetop for five minutes.
6. Get her immunized Keep your baby’s vaccinations up-to-date.

The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.

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Last Modified: 01/01/2009

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