Being the father to a brand new baby is one of the most amazing feelings in the world, but as all of you dads reading this will know, it is also one of the scariest feelings too. Babies are just so small, seemingly fragile and totally dependent on you as parents to take good care of them. This is enough to fill any parent with anxiety, but throw into the mix the delicate nature of babies in terms of their health and looking after your new baby can prove to be a terrifying experience.

Of course, if you educate yourself and you know what kind of problems you baby may face, and what you can do about them, then you are much more empowered and much less to panic when any issues arise.

With that in mind, here are some common baby problems you should know about:

 

Birth Injuries

It can be very distressing to see your baby in pain due to injuries at the time of their birth, but most of these injuries will heal pretty quickly, so it isn’t worth getting too anxious about them. Of course, if an injury is more serious than common injuries like forceps marks and broken collarbones, such as injuries that affect the brain, you may want to take legal action, using a personal injury lawyer to secure your finances for your child’s future. There is help available!

 

Diaper Rash

On the subject of diapers, diaper rash is a very common condition, which although it is not serious, can cause your baby a lot of discomfort, which is obviously upsetting for you too and could mean a lot more sleepless nights. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to keep diaper rash, which is an irritation to the skin, at bay by changing baby more regularly, using products like Mustela Diaper Rash Cream to soothe and protect and by powdering the area. If the problem persists, then you may be able to get a doctor to prescribe a steroid treatment, but never use this kind of medication without first being prescribed it for your baby.

 

Blue Skin

When a baby is born, it is not all that uncommon for her to be born with a bluish tinge to the skin. This can disturb some parents because they associate blue skin with breathing problems, but this is unlikely to be the case, and ven if it was, the doctors in the delivery suite would be right on it. That being said, if your baby’s skin stays blue for a prolonged period, it is sensible to take her to a doctor.

 

Yellow Skin

As well as blue babies, it is not unusual to see a baby with yellowed skin. This is usually caused by a condition known as jaundice, and that will clear up itself over time. However, yellowed skin can also be a symptom of liver issues, so you should have your physician check it out. If it is just jaundice, then you’ll still want the doctor to prescribe a course of treatment just to ensure the problem doesn’t develop into something more serious over time.

 

Coughs

Babies commonly get coughs too. This is much more common during feeding because sometimes the baby can take in milk too fast and it causes the coughing reflex to activate. This is completely normal, and you should not worry about baby coughs unless they come out of the blue, last for a long time and cause baby to gag. If any of these things happen, it could be a sign your baby is dealing with a number of issues from digestive problems to lungs that aren’t functioning correctly, but the more common cause of prolonged coughing is likely to be whooping cough. Get your baby checked out.

 

Distension of the Abdomen

This is a very common issue in newborns and young babies. You can tell that the abdomen is distended if it feels harder. and more swollen that it is, particularly in between feeding times. Most of the time, it will be nothing more than constipation or gas, but if the problem persists and burping does nothing, nor does the situation change after baby has used his diaper, then it is a good idea to seek professional medical help just in case it is something more serious.

 

Breathing Difficulties

When your baby is newborn, it may take him a few hours to get the hang of breathing so if his breathing is a little strange in the hours after his birth, that is not usually nothing to worry about, However, if your baby is struggling to breathe after that, you’re going to want to get it checked out. Most likely, it will be down to nothing more than a basic blockage in the nose, which can be treated with a saline solution irrigation. However, if your baby is breathing very rapidly, making grunting noises or suddenly develops blue skin that does not fade fast, it’s time to call in the emergency services.

 

Sickness

As a new dad, you’re going to have to get very used to baby sick. Most babies are sick at least some of the time, usually after feeds. However, if your baby is vomiting more often than that, further investigation is required. It could be that she is allergic to the milk she’s being fed, or she could be dealing with some digestive issues that you’ll need to get to the bottom of if you want her to grow and thrive as best she can.

 

Fever

It can be pretty scary when you pick your baby up to find that he is burning up, but it’s important not to panic. Fever is a symptom of infection, and most infections are fairly minor in nature. It’s only when the fever goes beyond mild to severe (around 102 F) that you need to call in a pediatrician to ensure that there isn’t something serious going on and that your baby doesn’t have seizures.

 

Ear Infections

Ear infections are very common amongst babies, and you can usually tell that they’re suffering from one when they’re much fussier than usual and when they pull at their ears. You may or may not need antibiotics to deal with the problem depending on the nature of the infection, so have a doctor check it out.

 

Colic

If your baby is crying and crying and he just won’t stop no matter what you try to do for him, there is a good chance that he is suffering from colic and your first step should be to work out if he is allergic to the formula you’re feeding him. Most babies who suffer from colic will get over it in the first few months after birth, so although it can be tough on all concerned, it is usually nothing to get overly anxious about. Make sure that you use the best baby bottles for wind that can help minimise the risk of colic.

 

Diarrhea

You may panic if your baby has diarrhea, but if she otherwise seems fine, then as long as you keep her hydration levels up, you really do not need to worry unduly about it, unless it keeps happening for a prolonged period of time, anyway.

 

Constipation

Again, constipation is not a huge problem unless it is causing your baby a lot of pain. If that’s the case, massaging his belly, changing your formula or even increasing hydration levels should help.If the problem persists, get the little one checked out in case it is a symptom of something more serious such as allergies or hyperthyroidism (very rare).

Relax, breathe and enjoy the time with your new baby knowing that if he or she does get sick, you’ll be ready to deal.