How to Tell if a Newborn Baby is Sick or Healthy

Coughs, Fevers, & Symptoms of Irregular Eating & Sleeping Patterns

Sep 8, 2009

Newborns lack means of communicating needs and pains with caregivers, so parents should learn to look for these signs of illness or cause for concern in young infants.

Newborn babies are difficult to care for, especially for new parents, and because newborns lack means of communicating needs and pains with caregivers, parents should learn to look for these signs of illness or cause for concern in young infants.

During a newborn’s first year of life, he or she sleeps, eats, uses the bathroom, and cries. A newborn cries to indicate needs and discomforts, but if a newborn has been well-cared for: fed, changed, held and comforted and continues to cry, he or she might be indicating a greater and less visible need.

Is a Newborn Sick if He Sneezes or Coughs?

Newborn babies sneeze a lot. Sneezing alone usually isn’t a cause for immediate concern if it is not accompanied by other symptoms.

If a newborn is coughing, however, for more than 24 hours, this is a cause for concern. Bring a newborn baby to the doctor after repeated coughing for a day to check into possible sickness or unusual developments.

Can a Newborn Sleep too Much?

Babies sleep a lot. How can parents tell if their baby is sleeping too much? If a baby sleeps past a feeding time, there is no cause for concern.

However, if a newborn sleeps past his or her meal times completely and falls asleep during feedings after being woken up for them, call a doctor just to check on the health of the baby.

How to Tell if a Newborn is Eating Properly

Newborn babies’ eating patterns vary greatly from baby to baby and day to day. Typically, newborns eat small amounts often; however, if a baby is eating very little at each sitting or seems extremely hungry at feeding times, it is a good idea to call a doctor to check on newborn development.

If a newborn’s sucking seems weak or strained, call a doctor because babies may not be taking in the proper amount of breast milk or formula. This can lead to rapid weight loss and developmental stunting.

How to Tell if a Newborn is Crying from Pain

Babies cry to indicate discomfort, needs and pain. If a baby cries continually, even after being fed, changed and comforted, consult a doctor because this might be a signal of an underlying sicknesses like stomach pain or an earache.

What Temperature Indicates a Fever in a Newborn

While babies' temperatures vary slightly depending on the time of day and the baby, these temperatures can indicate whether a doctor should be consulted:

While newborns vary in their sleeping and eating patterns, understanding unusual crying, sleeping, eating and temperatures in newborn babies can help parents and caregivers know when to consult a doctor for potential sickness or unusual development.

The copyright of the article How to Tell if a Newborn Baby is Sick or Healthy in Infant & Toddler Health is owned by Megan B. Wyatt. Permission to republish How to Tell if a Newborn Baby is Sick or Healthy in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Oct 4, 2009 11:12 AM

Guest :

Your picture of a newborn bottle-feeding is great disappointment and indicates that your information lacks credibility. Every major health organization, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization recommend exclusive breastfeeding through the first six months of life. Bottle-feeding should be the rare exception when breastfeeding is not possible.

Oct 4, 2009 8:52 PM

Megan B. Wyatt :

I appreciate your feedback. Some mothers are unable to breast feed babies and others pump the milk so other caretakers can feed a newborn breast milk too. I agree that mothers should breast feed whenever possible, but a picture of a mother breast feeding was unavailable due to privacy.