Newborn basics · Part 6 of 6
When to Call the Doctor
Every new parent wonders 'is this normal, or should I call?' — usually at 2 a.m. This guide collects the specific signals the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical sources say deserve a call, so you're not deciding from scratch in the moment. Keep your pediatrician's number saved in your phone before you need it.
01Read this first
- This page is for information only. It is not medical advice, and it is no substitute for your own pediatrician, who knows your baby. If you ever think your baby is having an emergency, call 911 right away. Practical suggestion
02Fever in a baby under 3 months
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If your baby is younger than 3 months (12 weeks) and has a temperature of 100.4°F (38.0°C) or higher, call your pediatrician right away.
This is the AAP's explicit threshold for the youngest babies — it applies even if your baby seems fine otherwise.
Source: AAP (HealthyChildren.org) -
In a baby under 12 weeks, a fever is treated as serious until a doctor has evaluated it — don't wait it out; call your pediatrician.
The AAP's symptom guidance for young infants stresses that fever at this age needs a doctor's evaluation, not home watching.
Source: AAP (HealthyChildren.org) -
Whatever the number on the thermometer, the AAP says to call if your child looks very ill, is unusually drowsy, is very fussy, or has any difficulty breathing — call your pediatrician.
How your baby looks and acts matters as much as the temperature itself.
Source: AAP (HealthyChildren.org)
03Feeding and diaper red flags
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Fewer than six wet diapers in a day is a dehydration warning sign in an infant — the AAP says to notify your pediatrician immediately.
Other signs on the AAP's dehydration list: a parched, dry mouth; fewer tears when crying; and a sunken soft spot (the fontanelle — the soft area on top of a baby's head).
Source: AAP (HealthyChildren.org) -
A newborn who is rarely alert, doesn't wake on their own for feedings, or seems too tired or uninterested to eat needs a call — especially if that's a sudden change from their usual pattern. Call your pediatrician.
The AAP flags this kind of lethargy (unusual sleepiness and low energy) as a reason to consult your pediatrician.
Source: AAP (HealthyChildren.org) -
Signs of more severe dehydration — extreme fussiness or excessive sleepiness, sunken eyes, cool or discolored hands and feet, or urinating only once or twice a day — mean call your pediatrician right away.
These are the severe-dehydration signs the AAP lists as needing immediate attention.
Source: AAP (HealthyChildren.org)
04Jaundice: the yellow tint many newborns get
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Jaundice is a yellow color in a newborn's skin caused by a build-up of bilirubin — a substance the body makes while breaking down red blood cells. It's common in the first days after birth because a baby's liver is still getting up to speed, and it's usually harmless — but it needs watching.
The AAP explains the yellow typically shows in the face first, then moves down to the chest, belly, arms, and legs as levels rise.
Source: AAP (HealthyChildren.org) -
Call your pediatrician if the yellow color is getting deeper, spreads to the belly, arms, or legs, or the whites of the eyes look yellow.
Spreading yellow suggests bilirubin is rising and should be checked.
Source: AAP (HealthyChildren.org) -
Call your pediatrician if a baby with jaundice is hard to wake, unusually fussy, or not nursing or feeding well.
The AAP notes that in rare cases very high bilirubin can be dangerous, which is why doctors take these signs seriously and check levels promptly.
Source: AAP (HealthyChildren.org) -
If jaundice suddenly increases once you're home from the hospital, call your pediatrician.
The AAP specifically lists a sudden increase in jaundice at home as a reason to call.
Source: AAP (HealthyChildren.org) - Jaundice that lingers — beyond about 2 weeks in a formula-fed baby or about 4 weeks in a breastfed baby — also deserves a call to your pediatrician. Source: AAP (HealthyChildren.org)
05Breathing signs that need urgent attention
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Fast breathing — more than 60 breaths in one minute — or retractions (the skin sucking in between the ribs with each breath) are on the AAP's notify-your-pediatrician-immediately list. Call your pediatrician right away.
Newborns normally breathe faster than adults, but sustained breathing above 60 breaths a minute is the AAP's stated threshold.
Source: AAP (HealthyChildren.org) -
Nostrils flaring wide with each breath, or grunting sounds while breathing, are also urgent breathing signs — call your pediatrician immediately.
These are signs a baby is working too hard to breathe.
Source: AAP (HealthyChildren.org) -
Persistent blue skin coloring — including blue lips — is a sign the body may not be getting enough oxygen. The AAP says immediate medical attention is essential: call 911 or seek emergency care now.
Bluish hands and feet alone can be normal in the first days, but blue that persists or involves the lips and face is an emergency signal.
Source: AAP (HealthyChildren.org)
06Crying and behavior changes worth a call
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Nonstop crying for more than 2 hours that you can't console is a call-now sign in a baby under 3 months — call your pediatrician.
The AAP's guidance treats crying that goes past 2 hours despite comfort measures as a reason to be seen promptly.
Source: AAP (HealthyChildren.org) - A baby who cries whenever touched, moved, or held may be in pain — call your pediatrician now. Source: AAP (HealthyChildren.org)
- A baby under 1 month old who is acting abnormal in any way, or any young baby who isn't alert when awake, needs to be seen — call your pediatrician now. Source: AAP (HealthyChildren.org)
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Sleeping far more than usual or being hard to wake, a weak cry, poor feeding or weak sucking, or unusual floppiness (limp, with low muscle tone) can be subtle signs of serious illness in a newborn — call your pediatrician now.
The AAP notes serious illness in newborns often looks subtle rather than dramatic, and highlights feeding as one reliable measure of a newborn's well-being.
Source: AAP (HealthyChildren.org) - If your baby is not moving or seems very weak, that is an emergency — call 911. Source: AAP (HealthyChildren.org)
07When you're not sure, call
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The AAP's rule of thumb: the symptoms of serious illness in newborns can be subtle — if how your baby looks or acts changes and it's not normal for them, call now.
You know your baby's normal better than anyone. A change from that baseline is itself a signal worth reporting to your pediatrician.
Source: AAP (HealthyChildren.org) -
You don't have to be certain something is wrong before you call. The AAP tells parents: your pediatrician is there to answer any questions you have about your child's health — if you are concerned about your child's symptoms, just call.
The same AAP guidance acknowledges it can sometimes be hard to tell how sick a child is — the answer is still the same: just call your pediatrician.
Source: AAP (HealthyChildren.org)