When to call 911: How to tell if your baby needs emergency care

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How can you tell whether your baby is having trouble breathing? When is a seizure serious? Read on for clear guidelines on what to do in these common medical emergencies.

Difficulty breathing

Call the doctor if your baby has these signs of respiratory distress:

Grunting
Flaring nostrils
Sucking in the skin above the collarbone, or between or below the ribs
Consistently fast breathing
Whistling, coughing, or crackly sounds on inhale and exhale (wheezing)

Call 911 if:

Child is turning blue around the mouth or taking more than 60 breaths per minute

Seizure

Signs that your baby is having a seizure:

Is suddenly unresponsive and staring vacantly, or seems to be twitching involuntarily
Becomes unconscious and twitches or flails

What to do:

Turn your child on the side to prevent choking on saliva, and wipe saliva away from the mouth to keep the airway clear.

Call the doctor if:

Seizure lasts less than three minutes

Call 911 if:

Seizure lasts longer than three minutes
Child is turning blue around the mouth or taking more than 60 breaths per minute
Child has had a seizure and you can't reach the doctor right away

Learn more about seizures in babies

Fall or blow to the head

Call 911 if your baby has any of these symptoms after a fall or blow to the head:

Irregular breathing
Convulsions or seizure
Unconsciousness

What to do in the meantime:

Don't move your baby unless there's danger of being hurt further
Perform CPR if baby stops breathing
If baby is bleeding, cover the wound with a clean cloth and apply pressure

Go to the emergency room or see a doctor right away if:

Child was unconscious, even if child seems fine afterward
Child vomits more than once
Child is unusually sleepy
Child seems weak or confused or has problems with coordination, vision, or verbal communication
Child is bleeding from the ears
Child has bleeding from the nose or mouth that doesn't stop after five to ten minutes of applying pressure (see "what to do" above)

Learn more about head injuries in babies

Broken bone

Call 911 if:

The bone is sticking out of the skin. (Don't touch it. Cover it with a clean cloth.)
Child may have a skull, neck, back, or pelvic fracture. (Don't move your child.)
Child seems to have severe pain in one area and cries inconsolably

Call the doctor if your baby has these signs of a broken bone:

Bruising, swelling, tenderness, and stiffness in one area
Increased pain with movement
Unwillingness to use limb
Limb seems bent out of position
You heard a snapping sound during trauma

Learn more about broken bones in babies

Severe bleeding

Call 911 if:

Your baby has lost consciousness, is unresponsive, or is breathing irregularly
You can't stop the bleeding within ten minutes by pressing on it with a clean cloth

What to do:

Lay your child down with the feet elevated about 6 inches
If possible, elevate the part of the body that's bleeding as well
Apply firm pressure to the wound with a clean cloth until the bleeding stops
If blood soaks through the bandage you're using, just add another layer on top
Once the bleeding stops, leave the bandage in place and tie another bandage – or wrap plastic wrap or duct tape – firmly around the injured area (but not so tight that it could cut off circulation)

Go to the emergency room if:

The child is awake and alert
You didn't already call 911

Learn more about severe bleeding in babies

Cuts and scrapes

What to do:

Apply direct pressure with a clean bandage or towel until the bleeding stops
Check for debris in the wound; try to flush it out with cool running water or use tweezers to carefully lift out larger debris
Gently wash the wound well with soap and warm water or soak the wounded area in the bathtub, then pat dry
Apply an antibiotic ointment
Cover the wound with a bandage if it's in a spot that's likely to get dirty or rub against clothing

Call 911 if:

You can't stop the bleeding within ten minutes using firm pressure with a clean cloth

Go to the emergency room if:

The cut looks deep or has jagged edges. (Your child may need stitches.)
The wound is embedded with debris (like dirt or gravel) that you can't get out
The wound is on your child's face
Your child has been bitten by an animal or another child and the skin is broken
Your child has a deep puncture wound or cut caused by a dirty object

Call the doctor if you see these signs of infection in the following days:

Redness, pus, oozing, swelling, or if the area is warm to the touch

Learn more about cuts and scrapes in babies

Poisoning

Call 911 if:

Child is unconscious, unresponsive, or extremely sleepy
Child is having convulsions
Child is turning blue around the mouth or taking more than 60 breaths per minute
Child has burns on the lips or mouth

What to do:

Get the rest of whatever was swallowed away from your baby
Do not try to make your baby vomit
Try to make your baby spit out anything left in the mouth
Keep a sample – unless you have the container
Call Poison Control (800-222-1222), which can assess the situation and tell you what to do

Learn more about poisoning in babies

Vomiting

Call the doctor if your baby has these symptoms:

Vomiting for more than 24 hours
Six hours without a wet diaper, dry lips and mouth, crying without tears if he's more than 3 weeks old, unusual sleepiness, dark yellow urine, sunken fontanels (the soft spots on the head)
A little blood in the vomit
Forceful, persistent vomiting within a half hour after eating

Go to the emergency room if your baby is vomiting and has any of these symptoms:

Inconsolable crying, alternately pulling in and extending legs, arching back in pain
Vomit looks green, black, or red (try to bring a sample in a plastic bag)
Hard lump or swelling in abdomen that is painful when touched
Vomiting more than once after a head injury

Call 911 if:

Child is unresponsive

Learn more about vomiting in babies

Diarrhea

Call the doctor if your baby has these symptoms:

Baby younger than 3 months has diarrhea (stools that are suddenly more frequent and more watery than usual)
Diarrhea not improving after 24 hours
Six hours without a wet diaper, dry lips and mouth, crying without tears if he's more than 3 weeks old, unusual sleepiness, dark yellow urine, sunken fontanels (the soft spots on the head)
Black stool or blood in the stool

Call 911 if: