When to Call Your Baby’s Provider

It’s normal to have questions and worries in the first weeks with your baby. Some concerns can wait for a call to your clinic, while others need immediate care. Here’s how to know when to reach out for help—and when to go straight to the emergency room.

Trust Your Instincts

You know your baby best, and you never have to worry alone. Most pediatric clinics have a 24/7 phone line. A nurse or doctor can answer questions and tell you if your baby should be seen now.

If you are taking baby’s temperature, a rectal temperature is the most accurate.

View KidsHealth® Step-by-Step Instructions for Taking a Rectal Temperature

Reasons to Call Your Clinic

Call the clinic if:

• Your baby is not feeding well—for example, refusing the breast or a bottle, or immediately vomiting most of what they drank after every feeding attempt.
• Your baby won’t wake up to feed, or seems listless.
• Your baby is crying and cannot be calmed down.
• You have breast or nipple pain, or you’re worried about the latch (how baby’s mouth connects to breast or bottle).
• Your baby’s skin or the whites of their eyes look yellow. This could be infant jaundice, a liver problem.
• Your baby’s belly button stump is bleeding or leaking pus or discharge; or the skin around it is red/darkened, swollen, or warm.
• Your baby is vomiting forcefully (vs. standard “spit-up”) or has green-colored vomit.
• The soft spot on the top of your baby’s head looks sunken. This could be a sign of dehydration, which can be serious.
• Your baby is at least one week old and makes less than six wet diapers in 24 hours. This can also be a sign of dehydration. Many disposable newborn diapers contain a “wetness indicator” (blue) so you can easily tell if baby has wet, even if all the liquid has been absorbed by the diaper.
• Your baby has a low temperature (below 97.5°F / 36.4°C).
• Your baby is circumcised and you notice swelling or redness that is spreading around the penis, yellow or green pus or a bad smell, or bleeding larger than the size of a quarter.

If your baby is under three months and has a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, take them to the emergency room. Call your baby’s provider to let them know what is happening. Do not give your baby any medicine before they are seen by the medical team at the ER.

If your baby turns blue, is not responsive, or is not breathing, call 911 right away.

If you have an urgent concern after office hours (including weekends), call 617.414.5946. A provider will return your call within 30 minutes. If you don’t receive a call back within that time, please call again.

Some issues can be handled over the phone, but if not, we’ll help arrange an in-person visit as soon as possible.

Develop Your Emergency Skills

You can take a class to feel more prepared if there is an emergency, especially once your baby starts eating solids. Local hospitals offer classes in infant CPR and what to do if your baby is choking.

Register for “Infant CPR for Family and Friends” at Mount Auburn Hospital

Learn about Infant CPR and Safety Classes at Massachusetts General Hospital