Infant Illness

When Your Newborn Gets Sick

It's inevitable—your baby will get sick sometime. Whether it's a cold, an ear infection, colic or something else, you need to be prepared. If your baby exhibits any of the following symptoms, call your doctor. Any of these could be an indication your baby is ill.

• fever higher than 101F (38.3C)
  
• inconsolable crying for long periods
  
• problems with urination
  
• projectile vomiting, in which stomach contents come out with great force
  
• baby appears lethargic or floppy when held
  
• severe diarrhea
  
• unusual behavior
  
• poor appetite

Dehydration
Dehydration in an infant can be very serious. If you think your baby may be dehydrated, call your pediatrician immediately. There are some warning signs to watch for, including those below.

• Baby wets fewer than five or six diapers a day.
  
• Baby's urine is dark yellow or orange; it should be pale yellow.
  
• Baby has fewer than two loose stools a day.
  
• Baby seems to be having trouble sucking.
  
• The soft spot on baby's head is sunken in.
  
• Baby is listless or otherwise appears unhealthy.

If you're concerned, call your doctor. A change in the number of diapers used or the consistency of the bowel movement is the first clue.
During pregnancy, your liver takes care of bilirubin for your baby. After delivery, if baby's liver isn't mature and can't handle the bilirubin, jaundice occurs.

Jaundice
Jaundice is a yellow discoloration of the skin, sclera (eyes) and deeper tissues of the body. The baby looks yellow because excess amounts of bilirubin, a breakdown product of blood, has accumulated in her system. The baby is unable to filter it from the blood. It can be dangerous for the baby if left untreated.



If your pediatrician and the nurses in the hospital suspect your baby has jaundice, they will test her and keep her under observation. They will determine what type of treatment is necessary.

Phototherapy is used to treat jaundice. The baby is placed under special lights, which penetrate baby's skin and convert the bilirubin to a form that is passed in the urine. In more severe cases, blood-exchange transfusions may be necessary.

In some parts of the world, special lights may not be available. In these cases, the baby is placed outside in the sunshine for very short periods of time, and the sunlight destroys the excess bilirubin.

Diarrhea
Your baby may experience diarrhea—it's not uncommon. She'll need extra water and minerals to prevent dehydration. Your doctor may recommend an electrolyte solution to help replenish your baby's lost fluids and minerals.

Ear Infections
It may be difficult for you to determine if your baby has an ear infection. Symptoms that may indicate an ear infection in babies less than 6 months of age include irritability that lasts all day, sleeplessness, lethargy and feeding difficulties. These symptoms may be hard to discern and may not be accompanied by fever.

For babies between 6 and 12 months of age, the symptoms are similar, except that fever is more common. The onset of ear pain may be sudden, acute and more noticeable, and baby may pull at her ears. If you suspect baby has an ear infection, call your pediatrician. He or she can look into your baby's ears and will prescribe treatment.

Colic
Colic is a condition marked by episodes of loud, sudden crying and fussiness, which can often last for hours. About 20% of all babies experience this unexplained pain and crying. In full-blown colic, the baby's abdomen becomes distended, and the infant passes gas often. The only way to know if your baby has colic is to visit your pediatrician or family physician. He or she can determine if it is colic or if your baby is having some other problem.

Colic usually appears gradually in an infant about 2 weeks after birth. As time passes, the condition may worsen; however, it often disappears around age 3 months but occasionally lasts until 4 months. Colic attacks usually occur in the late afternoon and early evening, and can last as long as 3 to 4 hours. Attacks cease as quickly as they begin.

Researchers have been studying the causes of colic for a long time, but we still have little understanding of why it occurs. Theories about its causes include: immaturity of the digestive system, intolerance to cow's-milk protein in formula or breast milk, and fatigue in the infant.

At this time, we cannot offer a definitive answer on how to stop the colic. Most doctors recommend using a variety of methods to try to ease the baby's discomfort. Some of these ideas are:

• Offer baby the breast or a bottle of formula.
  
• Try noncow's milk formula, if you bottlefeed.
  
• Carry your baby in a sling during an attack. Motion and closeness often help somewhat.
  
• Give baby a pacifier to help soothe her.
  
• Put the baby on her stomach across your knees, and rub her back.
  
• Wrap the baby snugly in a blanket.
  
• Massage or stroke baby's tummy.