Signs that need urgent care
Seek help straight away if your baby is very hard to wake or unusually floppy, is breathing fast or grunting with each breath, has blue or very pale skin, isn't feeding, or has a bulging soft spot. These need prompt medical attention.
Fever & dehydration
In a baby under 3 months, a temperature of 38 °C or above needs same-day medical advice. Watch for far fewer wet nappies, a dry mouth, sunken eyes or persistent vomiting — signs of dehydration that also need care.
Trust your instinct
You know your baby. If they seem very different from usual, cry in an unusually high-pitched or weak way, or you're simply worried, contact a health professional. It is always okay to ask.
How to watch your baby’s breathing
Newborns breathe irregularly: a few quick breaths, a short pause, then a slower rhythm. This pattern is normal and nothing to worry about as long as your baby stays pink, relaxed and responsive. What matters is a change in quality: breathing that stays fast even at rest, a grunting sound with each breath out, nostrils flaring, or the skin pulling in between the ribs and under the neck with every breath in.
To check, undress your baby somewhere calm and watch their chest for a full minute, ignoring any movements caused by crying. If you notice any of these signs, if the lips or the area around the mouth look blue, or if your baby has long pauses in breathing, call emergency services straight away. Breathing difficulty in a newborn is never something to wait overnight on.
Skin, colour and rashes
Skin colour is one of the easiest clues to read. A yellow tinge that appears on the face and spreads down towards the tummy is often newborn jaundice, which is common and usually harmless, but it should be checked by your midwife or doctor, particularly if it appears on the first day, gets deeper, or your baby becomes sleepy and feeds less.
Very pale, grey, mottled or blue skin is never normal and means calling emergency services. Keep an eye on rashes too: scattered small white or red spots are common, but a rash that does not fade when you press a clear glass against it can be a sign of serious infection. Do not wait to see how it develops: call the emergency number immediately. If you are unsure about any spot or patch of redness, show it to a health professional the same day.
Feeding, nappies and vomiting
Feeds and nappies tell you a lot. A newborn who refuses several feeds in a row, has to be woken to eat and falls back asleep before really drinking, needs to be seen quickly. Likewise, noticeably fewer wet nappies than usual, dark urine, or no dirty nappies when your baby was feeding well before, deserve a call the same day.
Bringing up small amounts of milk after feeds is common and harmless if your baby is gaining weight and content. Repeated forceful vomiting, green vomit or vomit containing blood, or blood in the stools, however, need urgent assessment: call your doctor or emergency services. Jot down what you see, the time and how often it happens. These details help the professional assess the situation quickly and spare you from having to reconstruct everything from memory on the phone.
What to say on the phone, and who to call
When you call, start with your baby’s age, then what worries you most, leading with the most striking sign: breathing, colour, behaviour. Give the temperature if you have taken it, how many feeds and wet nappies there have been in the last few hours, and how long it has been going on. Do not play it down: professionals would much rather take one call too many than one too late.
As a rule, for an immediately serious sign such as difficulty breathing, blue skin, unusual drowsiness, a seizure or a rash that does not fade, call emergency services. For a fever, reduced feeding, jaundice or a worry that will not go away, contact your midwife, GP, paediatrician or out-of-hours service the same day. And if nobody can be reached and your instinct tells you something is wrong, go to the emergency department.
Frequently asked questions
How do I take a newborn’s temperature properly?
Use a digital thermometer under the armpit, with your baby calm and their top half undressed, and wait for the beep. Avoid forehead strip thermometers, which are less reliable. In a baby under three months, a temperature of 38 °C or above needs same-day medical advice, even with no other symptoms.
My newborn sleeps a lot: when should I worry?
Sleeping for much of the day is normal in the first weeks. What should concern you is a baby who is hard to wake for feeds, unusually floppy, or who does not respond as usual to touch or voice. In that case, call emergency services without waiting.
Are hiccups, sneezes and startles warning signs?
No. These reflexes are very common and part of normal newborn development, and they need no treatment. However, repeated jerking movements you cannot stop by gently holding the limb, or a fixed stare, could be a seizure: call emergency services.
Should a high-pitched or unusual cry worry me?
A very high-pitched, weak or moaning cry, different from your baby’s usual crying, is among the signs health services list as a reason for urgent assessment, especially alongside fever, drowsiness or refusing feeds. Contact a health professional without delay.
What should I do if my baby has a fever at night?
Do not wait until morning if your baby is under three months: a fever at this age needs immediate medical advice. Call the out-of-hours service or emergency services, keep your baby lightly dressed and offer feeds. Do not give any medicine unless a professional tells you to.
Is it normal for the soft spot to move or pulse?
Yes. The fontanelle can pulse gently in time with the heartbeat and tighten slightly when your baby cries or strains; that is normal. A bulging, tense soft spot while your baby is calm, or one that is clearly sunken with signs of dehydration, means calling a doctor or emergency services.
This article gives general information. It does not replace advice from a healthcare professional.
Sources
Sources checked on 2026-09-06.