Signs That Your Baby May Be Sick Or Getting Sick
Your parent radar
Believe it or not, your "parent radar" is more highly developed than you realize. Mother Nature has "programmed" your baby with a series of symptoms that are designed to tell you that he's developed some sort of illness. (They're not unlike the error messages that show up on your computer screen from time to time, alerting you to the fact that your computer is anything but happy.) But unlike the nice, neat little text box that shows up on your computer screen, baby-related "error messages" tend to be a whole lot messier. You can expect your baby to experience one or more of the following symptoms if he's doing battle with an illness:
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Respiratory symptoms
Runny nose: Your baby's nose starts secreting clear, colorless mucus that may become thick and yellowish or greenish within a day or two. A runny nose is usually caused by a viral infection such as the common cold, but it can also be caused by environmental or food allergies or chemical irritations. Note: Your baby should be checked by a doctor if the runny nose continues for longer than 10 days to rule out these causes and to check for the presence of a sinus infection.
Coughing: Your baby starts coughing because there is some sort of irritation in the respiratory tract -- anywhere from the nose to the lungs. Causes of coughing include the common cold, allergies, chemical irritations (e.g., exposure to cigarette smoke), cystic fibrosis and other chronic lung diseases, or because he has inhaled an object that's causing him to cough.
Wheezing: Your baby may make wheezing sounds that are particularly noticeable when he's breathing out. Wheezing is caused by both the narrowing of the air passages in the lungs and the presence of excess mucus in those major airways (bronchi) or the lungs, most often triggered by a viral infection. (The more rapid and labored your child's breathing, the more serious the infection.) Note: Wheezing in a baby does not necessarily mean that the child will have problems with asthma as an adult.
Croup: Your baby's breathing becomes very noisy (some babies become very hoarse and develop a cough that sounds like a seal's bark) and, in severe cases, his windpipe may actually become obstructed. (The more labored and noisy your baby's breathing, the more serious the airway obstruction.) Croup is caused by an inflammation of the windpipe below the vocal cords.
Gastrointestinal symptoms
Diarrhea: Your baby's bowel movements become more frequent and/or their texture changes dramatically (e.g., they become watery or unformed). Diarrhea is often accompanied by abdominal cramps or a stomachache and is triggered when the bowel is stimulated or irritated (often by the presence of an infection). It can lead to dehydration if it is severe or continues for an extended period of time, so you'll want to monitor your baby for any possible signs of dehydration.
Dehydration: Your baby has a dry mouth, isn't drinking as much as usual, is urinating less often than usual and doesn't shed tears when he cries. He may also be experiencing vomiting and/or diarrhea. Dehydration can be triggered by the presence of an infection and results in reduced blood circulation. Dehydration can occur quite rapidly in infants with diarrhea, so you'll want to watch your baby carefully if he's suffering from this problem -- especially if he's also experiencing some vomiting. Signs that your baby's dehydration may be severe include a weight loss of more than 5 percent of your baby'' weight; lethargic or irritable behavior; sunken eyes; a sunken soft spot (fontanel); a dry mouth; an absence of tears; pale, wrinkled skin; highly concentrated urine (urine that is dark yellow rather than pale in color); and infrequent urination.
Vomiting: Vomiting is more common in children than in adults and tends to be less both-ersome to children than to the adults on "clean-up patrol!" It can be caused by specific irritation to the stomach or, more commonly, is simply a side effect of another illness. It is generally only worrisome if your child vomits often enough to become dehydrated or if your child chokes and inhales vomit.
Skin changes
Change in skin color: Your baby suddenly becomes pale or flushed; or the whites of his eyes take on a yellowish or pinkish hue. Your child may have developed some sort of an infection, whether it be a systemic infection (e.g., stomach flu or jaundice) or a more localized infection (pinkeye).
Rashes: Your baby develops some sort of skin rash. It could be the result of a viral or bacterial infection; or an allergic reaction to a food, mediation or other substance.
Other symptoms
Behavioral changes: Your baby becomes uncharacteristically fussy and irritable or sleepy and lethargic. It's possible that some sort of illness or infection is responsible for these changes to your baby's usual behavior.
Fever: Your baby's temperature is higher than normal -- something that often indicates the presence of an infection but that can also be caused by a reaction to an immunization or overdressing your baby.
