As a new mum, sometimes it is hard to know when your baby is going through a normal phase or when there could be something potentially wrong. Here are a few tips that may help guide you to know when you would need to see a doctor.
- Excessive crying – Babies do cry a lot; it is your baby’s way of communicating his/her needs to you. Your baby will cry when he/she is hungry, gassy, cold, needs a diaper change or sleepy. However, if the baby’s cries sound unusual (weak, high pitched or moaning), different or last for an unusual length of time, it could be a medical problem so you can take your baby to the doctor.
- Abnormal sleep – One of the things that you will notice about your newborn baby is that they do tend to sleep a lot. However, if your baby is rarely alert, seems unable to wake up for feeds, or seems too tired or uninterested to eat, see your doctor right away.
- Infection of the umbilical cord. If you notice that the stump becomes infected (pus or red skin at the base of the cord, or crying when you touch the cord or skin next to it), see your doctor immediately
- If your baby’s fever spikes suddenly
- If your baby’s diaper remains dry and it seems like your baby is not passing urine
- If your baby is unable to keep anything down and is vomiting and/or diarrhoea. This could lead to dehydration which can be fatal for a small baby.
- If your baby has a cold and seems to be wheezing, coughing violently and having difficulty breathing.
