Sick 5-Month-old--when to Call the Pediatrician

Personally, I have always found that if you are asking the question, then you should be calling. It never hurts to go to the pediatrician with a sick infant, especially with diareha or vomitting. It can't hurt and no one will think you are overreacting. Five months is very young, and they can go from bad to awful very fast at that age. So put your mind at ease and go. Odds are she is fine, and they will just advise on fluids and advise you what to look for in case she gets worse. That's what they are there for.

It could be bad teething, but she is really young for it. My kids did teeth around 5-6 months but most are later. Fever spikes and vomiting are very rare in my opinion so I would consider that it is not just the teething.

Obviously, i don't know if this is what you are dealing with, but my daughter had the flu about a month ago. You know, THE flu (swine). It is apparently really mild but pretty common right now - mild fever, decreased appetite, loose stools, discomfort, but little viral symptome ( not reallly a runny nose or cough). I don't know if they can provide a flu treatment if it's been a week and at that age, but worth checking. Good luck.

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"Chalky" stool as in color (white) or as in texture? If she is having a white stool, it's time to take her to the pediatrician. Vomiting is not unusual, nor is a low-grade fever with teething, but a white stool at any time is never normal. Pedialyte is not a bad idea if she'll take it and keep it down. Babies get dehydrated very quickly. Be sure she's wetting a normal number of diapers, the soft spot on her head is not sinking in, and she's producing tears when she cries. I hope she feels better.

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Yes if you have to ask wether to take her to the pediatrician then you should be taking her. A white chalky stool is always a good reason to call the doctor. you should definitely get pedialyte cause you don't want her to get dehydrated. Have you used orajel or anything on her gums to help her with her teething. Fever is fine as long as it slowly goes up and down. If her temperatures rises or even lowers quickly you should take her to a pediatrician. Good Luck with your precious one. i have raised 8 with the youngest being 9 now alot of sleepless nights but every day is worth a new smile.

I suggest calling the Pediatrician ANYTIME. You have a right. And if that Pediatrician tells you something simple, go see another one. I do not think the vomiting is normal nor the chalky stool. How old is your angel? Definitely keep her hydrated. And depending on how old she is they have vitamins in liquid form that you can give? Also, for teething, what i used that worked miracles was Holistic teething tablets by Hylands. You can usually find them at CVS, Kmart. They are natural. The best thing is that it actually kept my baby calm and that is all i cared about. Seeing her suffer was heart breaking. Hope this helped.

You should call your pediatrician. A phone call takes only a few minutes and it's always better safe than sorry. Better to ask a doctor than a group of Moms.

H.,

Take her in. Like SM said, if you have to ask, then you should take her in. Here is a rule of thumb for just about any situation with kids: If you believe there is something wrong, there usually is. It never hurts to take your baby in to the pediatrician to give you piece of mind. Do you have a book called "What to Expect the First Year"? If so, I suggest you get one. You can also check the website: webmd.com and use their symptom checker. I use it all time. It is has helpful remedies you can do at home and lets you know if you should see a doctor or not. Hope this helps. God Bless.

It wouldn't help calling the advice nurse. It could come from teething but just to be on the safe side with such a small life I wouldn't sit and wait on it. Also, the pedialyte is a good idea. Works wonders...

Not sure if I'm answering this too late, but my thought is that if you're asking about calling the pediatrician, go ahead and call. From what you said, I think it seems like maybe a small bug or something, but could be just teething, and the pediatrician may say the same. I just would rather call b/c I figure if there's a bug going around, they may know and be able to tell me for certain, or if they think it would be best for me to take my child in, they'll let me know that too. Also, I find it's always a good idea to have "clear liquids" on hand in case of illness. Water is supposed to be hard on a sick stomach, but ginger ale, sprite, tea, and gatorade and other similar drinks are great when sick. (And of course, Pedialyte)Good luck!

H.,

If you are conerned enough to post this message, then it is time to call the doctor. Mother's instincts/intuition are ususally right. As far as replacing liquids, NO SOLID FOOD, use small sips of watered down pedialyte, or get the pedialyte pops. They may help the teething issue too. Does she still have wet diapers? Are her soft spots bulging or sunken? Don't forget, when she is feeling better, most liquids freeze well and can be made into ice pops for sore gums, just avoid really sugary ones, or at least water them down alot, that goes for fruit juices. Only use 100% fruit juice and dilute by half. Something else that I still do- my kids are 13,11 and 6- puree fresh fruit, mix with a bit of water and freeze into ice pops or ice cubes-adds neat flavors to other drinks.

Call the Doctor. My philosophy is better safe than sorry. We mothers have a pretty good sense of when something is not quite right with our children...mother's instinct! I rather have a Dr. tell me it is just a virus than to be worrying at home. I think only one time in the past I took my daughter, now 2, to the Dr's and she was fine. The other times it is usually an ear infection or something else. Earlier this year I thought she might have an ear infection so I took her to be on the safe side, and it ended up being pneumonia!
I hope your little one feels better soon. As long as she is eating something and drinking a lot, you shouldn't have to worry about dehydration unless she throws up a lot and has several loose bowel movements in a row.