How To Know When Your Baby Is Sick

As new parents, you’ve spent nine months emotionally as well as logistically preparing to welcome that magical newborn into your household. Nevertheless, you may not be prepared to evaluate your infant when he’s ill and to know when you can handle the illness yourself and when to get help. For infants under the age of six months, the following are some of the signs of illness and general guidelines for when to call the doctor.

• Fever itself is not an illness, but rather the baby’s response to an illness – most commonly an infection. Call the doctor if your infant is less than three months old and has a rectal temperature above 100.3F, or if between three and six months has a temperature above 101F. Even if the temperature is lower than these general guidelines, call the doctor if the baby appears ill with such signs as a rash, irritability, poor feeding, trouble breathing, a stiff neck, persistent vomiting or diarrhea, signs of dehydration or is lethargic or difficult to arouse.

• Dehydration can happen if the baby is feeding poorly, has a fever, is in too warm an environment, or has persistent vomiting or diarrhea. You can recognize it if the baby has a dry mouth and gums, wets the diaper less frequently, sheds no tears when crying or the fontanel (the soft spot on the top of the head) appears to sink slightly. If you think the baby is dehydrated, call the doctor.

• Diarrhea is common in infants, but call the doctor if there is blood in the stool, the baby has more than 6 watery stools a day, is not taking fluids or shows signs of dehydration.

• Vomiting (not just ‘spitting up’) may not be serious if it happens only once or twice. If it happens more frequently, contains blood or is green in color, or if the baby looks dehydrated, call the doctor.

• Difficulty breathing can be suspected if the baby is breathing much more rapidly than usual, if the tissue between the ribs, above the collar bones, or in the upper abdomen is sucked in when the baby inhales, if the baby grunts while exhaling, if his head is bobbing or if his lips or skin develop a bluish tinge. The doctor and 911 should be called immediately.

• Red, oozing or bleeding navel (or umbilical remnant) or penis – call the doctor.

• Rashes are common in babies, but call the doctor if the rash covers a large area, especially the face, or is accompanied by a fever, if it oozes, bleeds or the area is swollen, or if it looks infected.

• Colds (upper respiratory infections or “URI”) are caused by a virus and are very common in infants. They usually last 1 or 2 weeks with an associated runny nose, fever and poor appetite for a few days, and a cough which can last as long as 2 to 3 weeks. Do call the doctor if the temperature is higher than the guidelines above, if there is a rash, there’s any difficulty in breathing as described above, he is unusually fussy and cries a lot, the cough is severe and almost non-stop or brings up any blood, if he is vomiting, or if the symptoms last more than 2 weeks.

Finally, under all circumstances, if you’re very worried that the baby looks really ill, trust your instincts and call the doctor!

By Margaret Lewin, MD, FACP – Medical Director, Cinergy Health (www.cinergyhealth.com)

Toy Safety Tips

By Malcolm Denniss, Technical Director for SGS Consumer Testing Services

1. The most important aspect of buying gifts for children (whether for holidays or birthdays) is to make sure the toy or game is age-appropriate for the child. Nearly every toy or game will list the appropriate age on the box. The guidelines were developed by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and Toy Industry Association, and take into account the typical ability of children to handle certain toys. Buying toys for children that are younger than the indicated age, even though we think a child may grow into it or is capable may lead to inappropriate play patterns and hazards that a child is not yet prepared for.
2. Children are naturally excited to play with new toys at holiday times, often in a robust and possibly in an overly enthusiastic manner. It is important that parents periodically check their children’s toys for any damage or breakage, which could create sharp edges or a choking hazard. If a toy looks damaged, take it away! If necessary, contact the manufacturer to verify that it is still safe to play with.
3. While toy shopping during the holidays, check recall notices at the toy or department store to verify none of child’s existing toys have been recalled and are still in your child’s room or toy box.
4. If you are buying toys for nephews, nieces, or other children that you may not see on a regular basis, it is always a good idea to check with the parents and make sure you know what they think is appropriate for the child, particularly for very young children where maturity can vary significantly. Be particularly careful when buying for children under the age of three years. This age group often still puts toys in their mouths, so check the front of the toy package to see if the toys have small parts before buying.
5. Teach kids outdoor and indoor play safety. It’s important to teach them to not play ball games near roadways and to always look where they are running if the ball goes outside the play area. Never let them play near roads and areas where automobiles are driving. Do not let them play with flying toys indoors where they can not only knock over fragile decorations but can also hit bystanders.

Special Agent Oso Mini-Marathon – Aug 24th

Disney Channel will present a mini-marathon of its newest hit, “Special Agent Oso,” an animated series for preschoolers starring Sean Astin, MONDAY, AUGUST 24 (8:00-10:00 a.m., ET/PT). The marathon will feature four episodes, including the premiere of a new episode, “Tie Another Day / You Only Start Pre-School Once,” at 8:00 a.m. ET/PT.

“Special Agent Oso” is #1 in its time period across all basic cable networks. For the month of July ’09, the series ranked as a Top 5 series geared for preschoolers and Top 10 among all series on TV with kids and boys 2-5. [Source: Nielsen Media Research, premiere-to-date range (4/4/09 thru 8/9/09). July ’09 (6/29/09 thru 7/26/09).]

• 8:00A   “Tie Another Day / You Only Start Pre-School Once”
• 8:30A   “Live and Jump Rope / A View to a Kitten”
• 9:00A   “The Girl Who Cheered Me / License to Twirl”
• 9:30A   “Hopscotch Royale / Gold Ringer”

Sean Astin stars as the voice of Special Agent Oso, a fuzzy, lovable, bumbling stuffed panda bear special agent-in-training, who enlists the help of viewers at home to complete his missions. “Special Agent Oso” airs every day at 8a.m. ET/PT during Disney Channel’s Playhouse Disney programming block for preschoolers.

Information courtesy of Disney Entertainment

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