When does a Pediatrician worry?

As a new parent, it is important to remember that every experience is new (obviously!) — new parents should have lots of questions (every one of them legitimate)! One of the most important questions is, “When should I be worried?”

As a mom, I worry a lot. But as a pediatrician, I am trained to worry about the following things — and want to hear from parents if any of these are happening! The following is a brief synopsis of, “Please call me, even if it’s the middle of the night, if any of these things are happening.”

NEWBORNS:

I worry if newborns aren’t waking every two to three hours to feed on their own, especially in the first few days. Newborns are ridiculous! When they are too hungry, they get sleepy, which leads to less feeding. Until a baby is back at their birth weight, it is so important to make sure that they are feeding every three hours, at a minimum. Another good rule of thumb for knowing if your baby is feeding well is to follow their pooping! A baby should be producing bowel movements equal to the number of days they have been alive for the first week, ie, a four day old infant should have at least four bowel movements that day.

INFANTS LESS THAN TWO MONTHS:

I worry about any fever (a fever is defined as a temperature greater than 100.5, rectally). I worry about any baby struggling to breathe. You can tell a baby is struggling to breathe by looking at their chest and stomach — if they are belly breathing, if they are pulling at their ribs, this is concerning. I worry about any baby who is not feeding, not urinating — I don’t want any baby going more than 8 hours without a wet diaper. Please, call your pediatrician if these are happening!

CHILDREN OVER TWO MONTHS

I worry about temperatures over 103 and/or any fever (temperature over 100.5) that lasts for five or more days. I worry if a child has any problems breathing. I still worry about a child who is not drinking, not producing urine more than a few times/day.

Of course, there is a lot more to worry about, both as a parent and a pediatrician — but luckily, most of the other things can be discussed in a non-emergent fashion. Remember, there are never any silly or stupid questions. Your pediatrician should always take the time to make sure you get the answers you need. Personalized Pediatrics of Maine guarantees that you will always have the time to have your questions, concerns or worries addressed thoroughly.

Personalized Pediatrics of Maine strives to be the best Pediatric office in the state of Maine!