This subject does not have an easy answer. The answer depends on what the problem is and your level of parental experience.
The first thing to do is assess your baby's overall condition.
Remember to look at the big picture. Is my baby overall well or does he look sick? This may seem hard to a first time mother, but your instincts about your baby develop very quickly.
If there is only one problem and otherwise your baby is fine, then most likely the problem is minor. If there is more than one problem, most likely there is something more serious going on. Once you have decided what the problem area is, then refer to the appropriate section in this book for advice.
If overall your baby is well and the problem you had, you now think is normal according to your reading, then most likely your baby is fine and just watch for other problems.
If you think that your baby is not doing what the book describes as normal, then you should probably call an experienced relative and or me to discuss the problem and find out what to do.
Always remember that advice is simply that, ADVICE. Your mother and I over the phone depend on what you tell us to help you decide what to do. Sometimes communication lines get crossed or your baby's condition changes after we hang up, therefore, if you think your baby is ill, then take your baby to a doctor.
REGARDLESS OF WHAT THIS BOOK OR ANYONE TELLS YOU, IF YOUR BABY LOOKS ILL TO YOU, THEN YOU SHOULD CALL ME IMMEDIATELY. REGARDLESS OF WHAT ANY DOCTOR TELLS YOU OVER THE PHONE, IF YOU THINK YOUR BABY IS ILL AND SHOULD SEE A DOCTOR, THEN COME TO THE OFFICE OR GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM IMMEDIATELY AND HAVE A DOCTOR CHECK YOUR BABY.
The following outline may also help you:
If you baby has any of the following, then call an ambulance or go to the emergency room immediately:
UNRESPONSIVE
DIFFICULTY BREATHING
STOPPED BREATHING FOR MORE THAN 10 SECONDS
BLUE COLOR TO THE LIPS ( please see the section on circumoral cyanosis )
SEIZURE
POISONING
HIGH FEVER ( >105 ) THAT YOU CAN NOT GET DOWN.
If you have one of the above conditions that you don't think is that serious or if you have some other emergency, then call me immediately and tell the person that answers that you have an emergency and I will be on the phone in a few seconds. If you call after business hours, then I or whomever is on call for me should call you back within a few minutes or you should either call again or go to the emergency room depending on how serious you think the problem is.
If you call me and I do not return your call in an adequate amount of time, then please call again. Occasionally messages get misplaced, phones are out of order or I have just been unable to get to your call yet.
Occasionally all pediatricians phone lines become very busy. This is due to Murphy's law of all children becoming ill at once and the pediatricians nature of trying to keep your child from needing to come to the office. Here’s some tips on how to best use the phone system.
Try not to call first thing Monday or Friday morning. These are the busiest times as children become ill over the weekend or parents fear their child may worsen over a weekend.
Remember to use as many resources as you can, including this booklet, the voice information system and your experienced relatives.
Schedule as many appointments in advanced as possible. The table in the back of this booklet lists all of the well child check ups and I will always remind you of the next visit before we are finished in the office.
Please review your insurance coverage and the responsibilities it gives you. A great deal of our calls involve insurance coverage or rather what they didn’t cover. The last time I checked, we have dealt with over 400 different types of insurance. Your insurance may not cover what you think or you may have co-payments, so please review your coverage especially for immunization coverage, office deductibles or co-payments and referral procedures.
Should you need to talk to me personally ( your problem cannot be answered by a message or you simply would prefer to talk with me ), then please let the person answering the phone know you would like to speak with me. Please still leave a message regarding what your problem is so that I may triage the phone calls. I often will give messages for the nurses to give to you due to the shear number of calls we receive as pediatricians.