1
Safe Sleep
Place your baby on the back for every sleep on a firm, flat sleep surface with a fitted sheet. Keep pillows, blankets, bumper pads, toys, and other soft objects out of the sleep space.
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Chapter 5 of 10
Your Baby’s Health & Safety
THE NEW BABY JOURNEY · CHAPTER 5
Your Baby’s
Health & Safety
Your baby’s first weeks are filled with exciting milestones—and a few worries, too. Learning how to recognize normal newborn behavior, practice safe sleep, prevent illness, and know when to seek medical care will help you feel more confident every day.
Know what matters most.
We’ll focus on safe sleep, fever, breathing, feeding,
illness prevention, and the warning signs that deserve
prompt medical attention.
NEWBORN HEALTH & SAFETY
What Every New Parent Should Know
Most newborn concerns turn out to be normal, but young babies can become ill quickly. Knowing a few important safety principles and warning signs can help you know when to watch, when to call, and when your baby needs urgent medical care.
2
Fever in a Newborn
A rectal temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher in a baby younger than 3 months requires prompt medical evaluation. Do not delay calling your pediatrician.
3
Breathing
Newborn breathing can sometimes look irregular, but persistent difficulty breathing, grunting, significant chest retractions, or blue or gray coloring requires immediate medical attention.
4
Feeding & Hydration
Feeding patterns vary, but a newborn who suddenly feeds poorly, repeatedly refuses feeds, has significantly fewer wet diapers, or is unusually difficult to wake should be evaluated.
5
Preventing Illness
Good hand hygiene matters. Ask people who are sick to postpone visits, avoid exposing your newborn to tobacco or vaping smoke, and follow your pediatrician’s preventive-care recommendations.
6
Trust What You Notice
Parents often notice subtle changes before anyone else. If your newborn seems significantly different from usual, especially with changes in feeding, breathing, alertness, color, or temperature, contact your pediatrician.
IMPORTANT NEWBORN WARNING SIGNS
When Your Baby Needs Immediate Attention
Seek prompt medical care for a newborn with a rectal temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher. Call 911 or seek emergency medical care for severe difficulty breathing, blue or gray coloring, unresponsiveness, a seizure, or any situation in which you believe your baby is experiencing a medical emergency.
G
DR. G’S PEARL
You Never Have to Be Certain Before You Call
One of the most important things I tell new parents is this: you do not need to diagnose your baby before calling your pediatrician. If something about your newborn’s breathing, feeding, temperature, color, alertness, or behavior worries you, make the call. That is exactly what your pediatrician is there for.
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Continue your journey with calm, practical guidance covering pregnancy, newborn care, feeding, sleep, health, safety, and development. Listen whenever you have a few quiet minutes.
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Created by Dr. G • Board-Certified Pediatrician
CONTINUE YOUR JOURNEY
NEXT · CHAPTER 6 OF 10
Feeding Your Baby
Next, we’ll focus on one of the biggest parts of newborn life: feeding. Learn what to expect with breastfeeding, formula feeding, hunger cues, feeding patterns, burping, and how to know whether your baby is getting enough.
Continue to Chapter 6 →
One chapter at a time. One confident parent at a time.