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Warning-sign checks

Transient tachypnea - newborn: when to get help

Go through these in order and stop at the first one that applies. If you are reading this for someone else, answer for them.

  1. 1

    Is any of this happening now?

    Call 911

    Call emergency services if your baby:

    • Has blue or gray lips, tongue, or skin
    • Has pauses in breathing
    • Is struggling severely for each breath
    • Becomes limp, unresponsive, or very difficult to wake
    Other emergency signs, for anyone
    • Someone who is struggling to breathe, gasping, choking, or cannot get words out
    • Someone who has chest pain, tightness or pressure lasting more than a few minutes
    • Someone who has sudden weakness or drooping on one side of the face or body, slurred speech, or sudden confusion
    • Someone who is unconscious, or cannot be woken
    • Someone who is bleeding heavily and it will not stop with firm pressure
    • Someone who has had a seizure that will not stop, or does not wake up afterwards
    • Someone who has lips or skin that look pale, blue, grey or blotchy
    • Someone who you believe has taken an overdose or swallowed something poisonous
  2. 2

    Is any of this happening?

    Be seen today

    Breathing difficulty in a newborn always needs prompt medical assessment because it is not possible to identify the cause safely at home.

    If your baby is still in hospital, tell a nurse or clinician immediately about fast breathing, grunting, unusual color, poor feeding, or increasing sleepiness.

    Seek urgent medical care for persistent fast breathing, grunting, flared nostrils, skin pulling in around the ribs, feeding difficulty, repeated vomiting, or fewer wet diapers.

    A fever or unusually low temperature in a newborn also needs urgent assessment.

    Contact your baby’s healthcare team sooner if feeding, alertness, weight gain, or breathing does not seem to be progressing as expected.

  3. 3

    Does any of this apply?

    Book an appointment

    After discharge, routine follow-up is usually through standard newborn visits.

Every sign above is quoted from the sofidex article on Transient tachypnea - newborn. If you are not sure, err upward — it is always reasonable to be checked.