Most of us become instantly paranoid when we become parents. The slightest little change, any unexplained twitch, can be cause for immediate emergency. Let’s face it, these little guys are completely dependent on us. We don’t want to mess this up. Because of this, parents take a lot of unnecessary trips to the emergency room.

Take a deep breath. Most of the things you worry about are nothing serious. As fragile as they are, the overwhelming majority of babies make it through that first month, and eventually grow up to be women or men. With that, said, however, here are a few of the things you should look for during your baby’s first month. If you see any of these conditions, take your baby in to see a doctor:

• White patches on the mouth, especially the tongue. Usually this is thrush, and usually it’s not a big deal. Thrush is a mild yeast infection, and is not generally dangerous. That said, it can be painful, especially when baby is feeding, so you’ll want to get your doctor’s recommendations.
• If baby stops feeding regularly. Newborn infants need to eat every 2-3 hours if breastfed, and every 3-4 hours if formula fed. Let your doctor know if baby misses more than one feeding.
• If baby is crying constantly and without stop, and you can’t console her. At this age, she’s too young to have colic. Your doctor can help determine what’s wrong and what to do about it.
• If baby is running a temperature of more than 100.4, call your doctor.
• If baby is vomiting, especially if it lasts more than eight hours, call your doctor. Note that we’re not referring to a little bit of spit up, which is normal for babies. Vomiting is identified by forceful regurgitation and can lead to dehydration, which is very dangerous for newborn babies. Throwing up once or twice is often not something to worry about, but if baby is still throwing up after eight hours, see a doctor. If you ever see blood in baby’s vomit, call your doctor immediately.
• Excessive bowel movements. We know, it seems like all your newborn does is sleep, cry, eat, and poop. But if baby is having more than 8 bowel movements a day, something could be wrong. See a doctor.
• Not having enough bowel movements. Most babies will have several BMs per day. They should have at least one. If a baby goes more than one full day without a bowel movement, check with your doctor.
• If baby’s belly button is red, see a doctor, as this is often sign of an infection.
• If baby has pink eye, see a doctor.

In the end, if your instincts tell you to see a doctor, then go. It’s better to make the “wrong” choice and have to pay an unnecessary medical bill than to risk being wrong and having your baby seriously affected.

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