Handling your Sick Baby: Learn to note the alarming signals
Worry, worry, worry! The sight of a sick baby always makes the new parents pathetic and vulnerable. But, believe me with a little insight and alertness things get better with time. It will reduce the panic and make you more self confident if you learn to recognize symptoms, how to take and interpret your baby's temperature, what to feed a sick child, knowing the most common illnesses and when to decide that it is a real emergency. Make sure of making a list of all your observations before calling the doctor. I have enlisted the most important things which you should check if your baby is sick.
Make a list
Make a list of all the symptoms and observations before calling the doctor. You should include information like his symptoms, anything that you thing may have triggered the symptoms, any home remedies or over the counter medications that you tried, any proximity of the baby with anyone carrying a communicable disease like cold or chicken pox and if the baby has recently experienced any injury or fall or illness.
Behavior
The most important alarming sign is any change in your baby's behavior. If you see your child lethargic or tired, cranky and irritable, inconsolable or unresponsive then you should report to a doctor.Sleep pattern, crying and his appetite are also indicators of any presence of sickness. if your baby is sleeping more or less than usual, or if he is having trouble while sleeping, if he is crying with a high pitch or if he is refusing bottle or breast feeds and is not taking solids then these signs may indicate trouble for your baby.
Temperature
Assess your baby's temperature by pressing your lips on his forehead and then take temperature using a thermometer. Before getting alarmed, remember that a baby's temperature may be affected by the room temperature, his or her level of activity, time of the day and so on.
Heart Rate
Measure your baby's heart rate. The normal range of heart rate in infants is between 100 and 130 beats per minute during sleep and 140-160 beats per minute when awake. If the baby is crying, the heart rate further increases to 160-200 beats per minute and it gradually decreases as the baby grows older; 100 to 140 beats per minute in a baby of two years.
If your baby is lethargic or has fever, take his pulse from the upper arm (brachial).
Respiration
Check your baby's respiration if she has trouble breathing, is coughing or is breathing irregularly. You can check her respiration by counting the number of times her chest rises or falls in a minute. Normal breathing rate for new born is 40 to 60 breaths per minute, 25 to 35 breaths per minute in a one year old baby. Activity such as crying and illness may change the breathing rate of your baby. You should also check whether your baby's chest is rising with each breath or not and whether the breathing is labored or raspy.
Respiratory Symptoms
Check whether your baby has a runny or stuffy nose? Look closely at the quality of the discharge, whether it is watery or thick; clear, white, yellow or green? Is he coughing; whether dry or with mucus?
Skin
Check your baby's skin if you fear that he is not well. try to see whether his skin is red and flushed, white and pale, blue or gray, moist and warm or moist and cool, unusually dry, excessively dry and cracking and if there is a presence of lesion anywhere (under the arms, behind the ears, on limbs or trunk)? Notice the color, shape and texture of the skin and then report to your doctor.
Mouth
Look for any swelling on the gums, red or white spots or patches visible on the gum, inside the cheeks or on the palate and the tongue and inform about these to your doctor.
Fontanel
Notice if the soft spot on your baby's head is still open, sunken or bulging as these may indicate an abnormality.
Eyes
Notice any changes in the eyes from their usual appearance; if they are glassy, vacant, sunken, dull, watery or reddened? presence of any dark circles, partially closed eyes and any type of discharge should alarm you.
Ears
If your baby is pulling or poking at one or both the ears, and if there is any discharge from them, get her checked by the doctor.
Lymph glands
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Look for any swelling in the lymph glands.
Digestive system
If your baby is vomiting, observe how often is he vomiting and the quantity of his vomit. is he vomiting curdled milk, mucus streaked, pinkish or bloody vomit, if the vomit is forcible, if it is projected to a long distance and share them with your baby's physician. if you feel there are any triggers for vomiting, do inform about them to the doctor.
Any change in baby's bowel movements, diarrhea with lose watery mucus or bloody stools should be reported to a doctor immediately. sudden, forceful and increased movements or constipated baby both are signs of abnormality and a doctor should be seen immediately.
Any change in saliva and difficulty in swallowing should also be observed and reported promptly to the doctor.
Urinary System
Check your baby's diapers and report to the doctor if the number of soiled diapers is lesser or more than usual. Any change in odor or color (yellow or pink) should also be notified to the doctor immediately.
Abdomen
Flatter, rounder or more bulging tummies (any deviation from the normal), any signs of pain and its position (as can be observed by pressing the area and seeing if the baby folds his legs inwards) also are normally due to an illness.
Motor symptoms
These are one of the most important symptoms to be checked. Any observations such as chills, tremors, trembling, stiffness, convulsions, stiff neck or any difficulty in moving it, chin bent towards the chest, difficulty in moving any part of the body should be immediately reported to the doctor.
Mother's instincts
Above all trust your instincts. A mother's gut feeling is always right where her child is concerned. Even if you can't point out any of the above symptoms but feel that something is not right, call in the doctor as there may be some subtle change requiring medical attention.
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Make a list
Make a list of all the symptoms and observations before calling the doctor. You should include information like his symptoms, anything that you thing may have triggered the symptoms, any home remedies or over the counter medications that you tried, any proximity of the baby with anyone carrying a communicable disease like cold or chicken pox and if the baby has recently experienced any injury or fall or illness.
Behavior
The most important alarming sign is any change in your baby's behavior. If you see your child lethargic or tired, cranky and irritable, inconsolable or unresponsive then you should report to a doctor.Sleep pattern, crying and his appetite are also indicators of any presence of sickness. if your baby is sleeping more or less than usual, or if he is having trouble while sleeping, if he is crying with a high pitch or if he is refusing bottle or breast feeds and is not taking solids then these signs may indicate trouble for your baby.
Temperature
Assess your baby's temperature by pressing your lips on his forehead and then take temperature using a thermometer. Before getting alarmed, remember that a baby's temperature may be affected by the room temperature, his or her level of activity, time of the day and so on.
Heart Rate
Measure your baby's heart rate. The normal range of heart rate in infants is between 100 and 130 beats per minute during sleep and 140-160 beats per minute when awake. If the baby is crying, the heart rate further increases to 160-200 beats per minute and it gradually decreases as the baby grows older; 100 to 140 beats per minute in a baby of two years.If your baby is lethargic or has fever, take his pulse from the upper arm (brachial).
Respiration
Check your baby's respiration if she has trouble breathing, is coughing or is breathing irregularly. You can check her respiration by counting the number of times her chest rises or falls in a minute. Normal breathing rate for new born is 40 to 60 breaths per minute, 25 to 35 breaths per minute in a one year old baby. Activity such as crying and illness may change the breathing rate of your baby. You should also check whether your baby's chest is rising with each breath or not and whether the breathing is labored or raspy.
Respiratory Symptoms
Check whether your baby has a runny or stuffy nose? Look closely at the quality of the discharge, whether it is watery or thick; clear, white, yellow or green? Is he coughing; whether dry or with mucus?
Skin
Check your baby's skin if you fear that he is not well. try to see whether his skin is red and flushed, white and pale, blue or gray, moist and warm or moist and cool, unusually dry, excessively dry and cracking and if there is a presence of lesion anywhere (under the arms, behind the ears, on limbs or trunk)? Notice the color, shape and texture of the skin and then report to your doctor.
Mouth
Look for any swelling on the gums, red or white spots or patches visible on the gum, inside the cheeks or on the palate and the tongue and inform about these to your doctor.
Fontanel
Notice if the soft spot on your baby's head is still open, sunken or bulging as these may indicate an abnormality.
Eyes
Notice any changes in the eyes from their usual appearance; if they are glassy, vacant, sunken, dull, watery or reddened? presence of any dark circles, partially closed eyes and any type of discharge should alarm you.
Ears
If your baby is pulling or poking at one or both the ears, and if there is any discharge from them, get her checked by the doctor.
Lymph glands
Look for any swelling in the lymph glands.Digestive system
If your baby is vomiting, observe how often is he vomiting and the quantity of his vomit. is he vomiting curdled milk, mucus streaked, pinkish or bloody vomit, if the vomit is forcible, if it is projected to a long distance and share them with your baby's physician. if you feel there are any triggers for vomiting, do inform about them to the doctor.
Any change in baby's bowel movements, diarrhea with lose watery mucus or bloody stools should be reported to a doctor immediately. sudden, forceful and increased movements or constipated baby both are signs of abnormality and a doctor should be seen immediately.
Any change in saliva and difficulty in swallowing should also be observed and reported promptly to the doctor.
Urinary System
Check your baby's diapers and report to the doctor if the number of soiled diapers is lesser or more than usual. Any change in odor or color (yellow or pink) should also be notified to the doctor immediately.
Abdomen
Flatter, rounder or more bulging tummies (any deviation from the normal), any signs of pain and its position (as can be observed by pressing the area and seeing if the baby folds his legs inwards) also are normally due to an illness.
Motor symptoms
These are one of the most important symptoms to be checked. Any observations such as chills, tremors, trembling, stiffness, convulsions, stiff neck or any difficulty in moving it, chin bent towards the chest, difficulty in moving any part of the body should be immediately reported to the doctor.
Mother's instincts
Above all trust your instincts. A mother's gut feeling is always right where her child is concerned. Even if you can't point out any of the above symptoms but feel that something is not right, call in the doctor as there may be some subtle change requiring medical attention.
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