Baby Tracker for DadsBaby questions, answered
Straight answers for the night shift. One question per page, the answer first, every number quoted from the AAP, CDC or NHS.
Feeding
- How often should a newborn eat?
Every 2 to 3 hours, start of one feed to start of the next: about every 2 hours if breastfed, every 2 to 3 hours if bottle-fed, at least 8 feeds a day.
- How often should a baby eat from 1 to 4 months?
Every 2 to 4 hours, start to start: breastfed babies average 2 to 4 hours, formula-fed babies about 3 to 4 hours from about 1 month on.
When to call a doctor: call 911 now
- What should I do if my baby's lips or skin turn blue, gray or blotchy?
Call 911 now. Blue, gray, pale or blotchy lips, tongue or skin is an emergency sign at any age.
- What should I do if my baby is struggling to breathe or pauses breathing?
Call 911 now. Irregular or paused breathing, or a visible struggle to breathe, is an emergency; a pause over 10 seconds counts even once it has passed.
- What should I do if my baby is very hard to wake or floppy?
Call 911 now. A baby who cannot be woken, or who has gone floppy, is an emergency at any age.
- What should I do if my baby has a seizure?
Call 911 now. Rhythmic jerking of the arms and legs with a loss of responsiveness is a seizure, and an emergency at any age.
- What is the glass test for a rash on a baby?
Press a clear glass firmly on the rash. If the rash does not fade under the glass, call 911 now; the NHS lists it as a sign of meningitis.
- What should I do if there is blood in my baby's stool?
Lots of blood in the stool, or blood passed on its own without stool: go to the ER now, or call 911. The AAP files it under Go to ER Now.
When to call a doctor: call your pediatrician
- What counts as a fever in a baby under 3 months?
100.4 °F (38 °C) or higher in a baby under 3 months is a fever. Call your pediatrician right away; the NHS uses the same threshold.
- How long can a baby go without feeding before I should call the doctor?
More than 8 hours without feeding, or taking very little: call your pediatrician right away. The NHS lists a baby who is not feeding under urgent help.
- How many hours without a wet diaper is too long for a baby?
No wet diaper in 8 hours, or far fewer than usual: call your pediatrician right away. The NHS urgent-help line is 12 hours; the earlier one is used.
- What should I do if my baby vomits green or blood?
Green (bile) or blood in vomit: call your pediatrician right away. The NHS lists vomiting that keeps going for 24 hours under urgent help.
- Is it normal for a newborn to look yellow in the first 24 hours?
No. Jaundice in the first 24 hours after birth means call your pediatrician right away; the AAP says the bilirubin level should be measured right away.
- What does a bulging soft spot on a baby's head mean?
A soft spot (fontanelle) that looks swollen or bulging: call your pediatrician right away. Both the AAP and the NHS list it.
- What fever is too high for a 3- to 6-month-old?
102.2 °F (39 °C) or higher at 3 to 6 months: call your pediatrician right away. Under 3 months the line is lower, 100.4 °F (38 °C).