Short answer
Take your baby to hospital immediately if they are not feeding, are very sleepy or hard to wake, are floppy, have a fit, breathe fast or with grunting, have a temperature of 38°C or more or less than 36°C, look blue, grey or very pale, or have had no wet nappy for 12 hours. In a baby under 3 months, a temperature of 38°C or more always needs urgent checking.
- Published
- Published by
- Dhruva Hospitals, Kadapa
Go to hospital immediately if your baby
- Is not feeding, or keeps vomiting
- Is sleepier than usual, hard to wake, or floppy
- Has a fit (seizure), or jerking or twitching movements
- Is breathing very fast, grunting, or sucking in the tummy or chest with each breath
- Has a temperature of 38°C or more, or less than 36°C, or feels cold to touch
- Has blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue
- Has a weak, high-pitched or continuous cry
- Has had no wet nappy in 12 hours
- Has a rash that does not fade when you press a glass against it
- Has a swollen or bulging soft spot on the head
- Has yellow skin in the first 24 hours of life
Call +91 90368 52311. Our neonatal and paediatric emergency team is on duty 24 hours a day.
Checking the temperature
Use a digital thermometer under the armpit. A temperature of 38°C or more in a baby under 3 months, or 39°C or more at 3 to 6 months, needs urgent medical help. A reading below 36°C is also a warning sign; recheck twice within 10 minutes, and if it stays low, come to hospital.
Trust your instinct
Babies do not need to have every sign to be seriously ill, and illness can get worse quickly. If you feel something is wrong, get your baby checked. Keep checking for new signs during the night.
On the way to hospital
- Keep your baby warm but not overwrapped.
- Bring the discharge card, vaccination card and any medicines your baby takes.
- Do not give home remedies or medicines that a doctor has not advised.
- If you can, let someone else drive so you can watch the baby.
Common questions
My baby has a mild fever after a vaccine. Is that a danger sign?
Mild fever is common after some vaccines. But a baby under 3 months with a temperature of 38°C or more should still be checked urgently, and any baby with the danger signs above needs hospital care.
How can I tell if my baby is breathing too hard?
Count the breaths for one full minute while your baby is calm. WHO treats 60 or more breaths a minute in a baby under 2 months as a danger sign. Sucking in under the ribs, flaring nostrils, grunting, nodding the head with each breath, or pauses in breathing also need urgent help.
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Sources
This article is general information, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. In an emergency, call +91 90368 52311.