We all hope that we never encounter emergencies in our baby. However, while we keep hoping, it is very important to know some of the signs in your baby, which require you take them to your pediatrician immediately. Sometimes, time is the essence and it can make a huge difference in the health of your baby. But its equally important to know that prevention is not only better than cure, its easier and less expensive as well. If you encounter any of these signs, take your baby to a pediatrician immediately

• Excessive crying- Babies cry a lot and it takes time to understand the cause and what he is trying to tell us, but if you think that your baby is crying excessively, and you are not able to find out why, or if he is crying for a unusually long time, then take him to your pediatrician

• Refusal to take feeds- There are times when your baby might not be hungry and refuses to feed, but if that happens for an unusually long time, or if you notice that your baby cries of hunger, but refuses to feed, refer your baby to your pediatrician.

• Lethargic child- If you baby is not active while awake and is extremely lethargic, take him to your pediatrician for evaluation.

• Frothing from the mouth- Take your baby to a pediatrician.

• Breathing Difficulty- Increased rate of breathing or extremely slow breathing can mean trouble. Take him to your pediatrician immediately

• Excessive vomiting- Vomiting normally is not troublesome, but if there is excessive vomiting or if the vomit is stained with blood, take him to your doctor immediately

• Bluish discoloration of skin- This can be an early sign of heart disease. If your child turns blue, especially during crying spells, take him to your doctor immediately.

• Jaundice (Yellow discoloration of skin)- Jaundice between the 2nd day and 1st week of birth is normal, however, if it happens within the first day of birth, it has to be shown to your pediatrician.

• High fever- If your child has a high fever, anything over a 100 degrees Farenheit, do not try to treat your baby at home. Take him to a pediatrician for evaluation. Fever is normally not harmful, it’s the cause of the fever that needs to be evaluated and treated.

Also read Vomiting FAQs

Diarrhoea/Constipation in Babies