Recognizing illness in your baby

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Some illnesses or accidents are so life threatening that you need to call 911 IMMEDIATELY. Examples of these are:

1. Changes in breathing -- fast, uneven, labored or when breathing seems to stop.
2. Persistent blueness, especially around the mouth.
3. Sighing sounds that come when the baby is exhaling and seem like the baby is working at breathing.
4. Loss of consciousness.
5. Seizure.

Although some are not life threatening, notify your baby's doctor right away if you notice any of the following changes:

1. Frequent temperature changes -- either less than 97.6° or more than 101° rectally.
2. Unusual twitching or jitteriness of arms or legs.
3. Lethargy or listlessness, disinterest in feeding or sleeping for extended periods (eight hours).
4. Projectile vomiting of green or bile colored material.
5. Blood in urine or bowel movements, or bleeding from the cord or circumcision.

These symptoms can wait for regular office hours:

1. Unusual fussiness, but unrelated to changes in breathing or color.
2. Yellowness of skin.
3. Unusual bowel movement pattern -- either straining at stools, hard stools (marble like) or frequent watery stools (will leave a water ring on diaper).
4. Decrease in urine output (should wet six to eight times in 24 hours).
5. Non-serious feeding problems.

Baptist Hospital East offers the Trager Pediatric Emergency Care for the treatment of minor emergencies in children during hours when most doctors' offices are closed.

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