Well-Baby Checkup (Under 1 Month)

Home care

• Keep feeding your child as you have been or as directed by the healthcare provider.

• Watch for any new or unusual symptoms as advised by the provider.

Follow-up care

Follow up with your child’s healthcare provider as directed. Make sure you know the date of your child’s next checkup.

When to get medical care

Call the healthcare provider right away if your child has any of these:

• Fever (see Fever and children below)

• Poor feeding

• Poor weight gain or weight loss

• Redness around the umbilical cord stump

• New or unusual rash

• Fast breathing or trouble breathing

• Smelly urine

• No wet diapers for 6 hours, no tears when crying, sunken eyes, or dry mouth

• White patches in the mouth that can’t be wiped away

• Ongoing diarrhea, constipation, or vomiting

• Unusual fussiness or crying that won’t stop

• Unusual drowsiness or slowed body movements

Fever and children

Use a digital thermometer to check your child’s temperature. Don’t use a mercury thermometer. There are different kinds and uses of digital thermometers. They include:

• Rectal. For children younger than 3 years, a rectal temperature is the most accurate.

• Forehead (temporal). This works for children age 3 months and older. If a child under 3 months old has signs of illness, this can be used for a first pass. The provider may want to confirm with a rectal temperature.

• Ear (tympanic). Ear temperatures are accurate after 6 months of age, but not before.

• Armpit (axillary). This is the least reliable but may be used for a first pass to check a child of any age with signs of illness. The provider may want to confirm with a rectal temperature.

• Mouth (oral). Don’t use a thermometer in your child’s mouth until they are at least 4 years old.

Use the rectal thermometer with care. Follow the product maker’s directions for correct use. Insert it gently. Label it and make sure it’s not used in the mouth. It may pass on germs from the stool. If you don’t feel OK using a rectal thermometer, ask the healthcare provider what type to use instead. When you talk with any healthcare provider about your child’s fever, tell them which type you used.

Below are guidelines to know if your young child has a fever. Your child’s healthcare provider may give you different numbers for your child. Follow your provider’s specific instructions.

Fever readings for a baby under 3 months old:

• First, ask your child’s healthcare provider how you should take the temperature.

• Rectal or forehead: 100.4°F (38°C) or higher

• Armpit: 99°F (37.2°C) or higher