When to seek help
Trust your instinct. If you think your baby is seriously unwell, do not wait for an appointment or a reply.
Call 1990 or go to the ETU now
- Breathing is difficult, very fast, noisy, or stops for a while
- Blue or grey lips, tongue or face
- A fit (seizure), or your baby is floppy, very hard to wake or not responding
- A baby under 3 months with a temperature of 38°C or more
- Green vomit, or vomiting with a swollen tummy
- A rash that does not fade when you press a glass against it
See a doctor today
- Feeding much less than usual, or fewer wet nappies (less than 6 a day after the first week)
- Yellow skin or eyes in the first day, or jaundice that is spreading or lasts beyond 2 weeks
- Pale (white or clay-coloured) stools
- Fever in a baby over 3 months that lasts more than a day or keeps coming back
- Redness, swelling or a bad smell around the umbilical cord
- Your baby seems unwell to you and you are worried
Usually normal in newborns
- Sneezing and hiccups
- Small spills of milk after feeds when your baby is otherwise well and gaining weight
- Breathing that is a little irregular during sleep, with normal colour
- Mild yellow skin from day 2–3 in a baby who is feeding well
- Small white spots on the nose (milia)
Useful contacts
- 1990: Suwa Seriya free ambulance service
- Your Public Health Midwife (PHM) and the MOH office: for feeding, weight and vaccination questions
- Your Child Health Development Record (CHDR): bring it to every visit
General information written for parents in Sri Lanka by Dr. Beneeta Hettiarachchi. It does not replace an examination of your child.
Have a question about your baby?
Emergency? Do not wait for a reply. Call 1990 (Suwa Seriya ambulance) or go to the nearest hospital Emergency Treatment Unit (ETU). When to seek help