{"id":2,"date":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youbelongpeds.com\/?p=2"},"modified":"2026-04-01T20:10:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T00:10:08","slug":"when-should-you-call-the-doctor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/publicancy.com\/ybp\/when-should-you-call-the-doctor\/","title":{"rendered":"When Should You Call the Doctor?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As parents, we all have moments of wondering, &#8220;Is this serious enough to call the doctor?&#8221; Knowing when to reach out to your pediatrician can make all the difference in your child&#8217;s health and your peace of mind.<\/p>\n<h4>Red Flags You Shouldn&#8217;t Ignore<\/h4>\n<h3>1. High or Persistent Fever<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Infants under 3 months having rectal fever over 100.4\u00b0F (38\u00b0C) should be evaluated urgently in an Emergency Room (ER).<\/li>\n<li>For older children, a fever lasting more than 5 days or one that spikes above 104\u00b0F (40\u00b0C) needs to be evaluated in our office.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>2. Trouble Breathing<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>If your child is breathing rapidly, wheezing, or using extra muscles to breathe (like flaring nostrils or sucking in at the ribs); go to the ER or call 911.<\/li>\n<li>Blue lips or fingertips are an emergency\u2014call 911.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>3. Signs of Dehydration<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Look for dry mouth, no tears when crying, sunken eyes, or fewer wet diapers than usual.<\/li>\n<li>Dehydration can happen quickly, especially with vomiting or diarrhea.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>4. Unusual Rashes<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>A rash that spreads quickly, is painful, or comes with a fever should be checked.<\/li>\n<li>If the rash doesn&#8217;t blanch (fade when pressed), it could be a sign of something more serious.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>5. Changes in Behavior<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Excessive sleepiness, irritability, or inconsolable crying can be signs of illness or pain.<\/li>\n<li>Trust your instincts\u2014if your child just doesn&#8217;t seem like themselves, it&#8217;s worth a check-in.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>6. Feeding or Digestive Issues<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Refusing to eat or drink, persistent vomiting, or signs of abdominal pain or distension should be evaluated.<\/li>\n<li>Babies who aren&#8217;t gaining weight or are losing interest in feeding need prompt attention.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>7. Injuries<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Head injuries, deep cuts, or suspected broken bones should be seen by a doctor.<\/li>\n<li>Even if your child seems okay after a fall, watch for signs like vomiting, confusion, or sleepiness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>8. Developmental Concerns<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>If your child isn&#8217;t meeting milestones\u2014like smiling, sitting up, walking, or talking\u2014bring it up at your next doctor visit.<\/li>\n<li>Early intervention can make a big difference.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>When in Doubt, Reach Out<\/h4>\n<p>You know your child better than anyone. If something feels off, don&#8217;t hesitate to call.<\/p>\n<p><em>Disclaimer: YouBelong Pediatrics shares educational content to support families. This is not medical advice and shouldn&#8217;t replace care from a Licensed Doctor.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As parents, we all have moments of wondering, &#8220;Is this serious enough to call the doctor?&#8221; Knowing when to reach out to your pediatrician can make all the difference in your child&#8217;s health and your peace of mind. Red Flags You Shouldn&#8217;t Ignore 1. High or Persistent Fever Infants under 3 months having rectal fever [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9534,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,19,68],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-child-care","category-examination","category-pediatrics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/publicancy.com\/ybp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/publicancy.com\/ybp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/publicancy.com\/ybp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/publicancy.com\/ybp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/publicancy.com\/ybp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/publicancy.com\/ybp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9535,"href":"https:\/\/publicancy.com\/ybp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2\/revisions\/9535"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/publicancy.com\/ybp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9534"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/publicancy.com\/ybp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/publicancy.com\/ybp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/publicancy.com\/ybp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}