Being a Parent in the NICU During Neonatal Sepsis Treatment: Visiting, Feeding and Bonding

The chair beside the incubator is too low, the light never fully dims, and the monitor above your baby chirps every few minutes for reasons nobody stops to explain. A nurse said the word sepsis this morning and then the day dissolved into blood draws, a tiny IV taped to a hand smaller than your thumb, and a plastic bag of antibiotics dripping on a pump. You have not held your child since the delivery room. You are not sure you are allowed to.

For parents in NICU sepsis treatment, that uncertainty is often the hardest part. The medical plan is largely out of your hands. What is not out of your hands is presence: being there, touching, feeding, talking. The evidence says those things matter to a sick newborn far more than the equipment suggests.

This explainer walks through what neonatal sepsis treatment involves and, more to the point, what you can actually do while it happens.

What neonatal sepsis is, and why the NICU team moves so fast

Neonatal sepsis is a blood infection in a baby younger than about 28 days, most often caused by bacteria. The word sepsis describes the body’s overwhelming response to that infection, in which inflammation spreads beyond the original site and starts to affect breathing, circulation and organ function.

Clinicians split it into two broad groups. Early-onset sepsis appears in the first days of life, usually within the first 72 hours, and typically comes from bacteria the baby met before or during birth. Group B streptococcus, a bacterium carried harmlessly by about one in four pregnant women according to the CDC, is a common culprit, alongside E. coli. Late-onset sepsis develops after the first week, and is more often linked to the hospital environment, to central lines (a thin tube placed in a large vein to give fluids and medicines) or to prematurity itself.

Why the urgency? A newborn’s immune system is immature and a baby cannot tell you where it hurts. Signs can be vague: a little slower to feed, a little floppier, a temperature that drifts up or down. Because infection can worsen within hours, teams start intravenous antibiotics as soon as sepsis is suspected, rather than waiting for laboratory confirmation. MedlinePlus notes that blood culture results commonly take 24 to 72 hours to return. Treating first and confirming later is not a sign that something went wrong. It is the standard approach.

Knowing that helps parents make sense of the pace. The team is not panicking. They are following a well-rehearsed pathway designed around the one thing that consistently improves outcomes in sepsis: speed.

How is neonatal sepsis treated in the NICU? What actually happens

Treatment rests on three pillars: finding the infection, fighting it, and supporting the baby’s body while the antibiotics work.

Finding it means tests. A blood sample is sent for culture, where laboratory staff try to grow any bacteria present so they can name it and check which antibiotics work against it. Depending on the baby’s condition, the team may also test urine, take a chest X-ray, or perform a lumbar puncture. A lumbar puncture, sometimes called a spinal tap, draws a small amount of fluid from around the spinal cord to check whether infection has reached the lining of the brain. It sounds alarming; in practice it takes a few minutes and is done with local numbing and comfort measures.

Fighting it means antibiotics given into a vein. Teams usually begin with a combination that covers the most likely organisms, then narrow or adjust the choice once culture results arrive. If cultures stay negative and the baby looks well, antibiotics are often stopped after about 48 to 72 hours. If bacteria are identified, MedlinePlus describes courses that commonly run from around one to three weeks, with the exact length set by the organism, the site of infection and the baby’s response. Those figures are typical ranges, not promises; your baby’s team will explain the plan they have chosen and why.

Supporting the body may include warmth, fluids, help with breathing ranging from a little extra oxygen to a ventilator, and, in some cases, medicines that support blood pressure. Feeding is often paused briefly, then restarted as the gut recovers.

Through all of this, the baby is watched continuously. The alarms you hear are mostly the monitor asking for attention, not announcing a crisis.

Can parents visit the NICU during sepsis treatment?

Yes, in almost all circumstances. A common fear is that a baby with an infection is somehow off-limits, or that visiting could make things worse. Neither is true. Your baby is not contagious to you in any meaningful sense, and you are not a risk to your baby provided you follow the unit’s hygiene routine.

Most NICUs today operate an open-access policy for parents, meaning you are not a visitor with fixed hours but a member of the care team who can come and go. The NHS describes parents being encouraged to spend as much time as they want with their baby on the neonatal unit. Practice varies between hospitals and there may be short periods when you are asked to step out, for example during ward rounds, a sterile procedure at a neighboring cot, or an emergency elsewhere on the unit.

Hand hygiene is the non-negotiable part. Expect to wash to the elbows, remove watches and rings, and use alcohol gel before touching your baby or the incubator. Some units ask that you wear a clean hospital gown. Phones are a frequent source of germs; wipe yours down and keep it away from the cot.

The one time you should stay home is when you yourself are unwell. A cold, a stomach bug, a cough or a rash can pose a genuine risk on a ward full of fragile infants. Tell the nurses; they can arrange video calls and updates so you stay connected until you recover.

If a policy seems unclear or unfair, ask to speak with the nurse in charge. Units want parents present, and most will work hard to make that possible.

Who is usually welcomed at the bedside, and who is asked to wait

Bedside access during sepsis treatment is generally sorted into three tiers, though the exact rules differ from unit to unit.

Parents or primary caregivers form the first tier and are welcomed around the clock in most NICUs. The second tier includes grandparents, siblings and a small number of named support people, who are often allowed during set hours and usually only alongside a parent. The third tier is everyone else, who typically wait until the baby is home.

Siblings deserve special mention. Many units welcome brothers and sisters because it helps the whole family adjust, but they will usually ask that the child is fully vaccinated for their age, free of any recent illness, and supervised at all times. During seasons when respiratory viruses circulate widely, some hospitals pause sibling visits entirely.

Who is asked to wait, regardless of relationship?

• Anyone with symptoms of an infection, including a runny nose, cough, fever, vomiting or diarrhea, or an unexplained rash.
• Anyone recently exposed to chickenpox/">chickenpox, measles or another highly contagious illness who is not known to be immune.
• Anyone unable or unwilling to follow the hand hygiene routine.

Being asked to wait is not a judgement. It reflects the fact that a NICU may house twenty or more babies whose immune systems cannot yet cope with viruses that a healthy adult would shrug off.

If you are a parent who has been unwell yourself, or who is recovering from a difficult birth or a cesarean, tell the team. They can often help with wheelchair access, rest facilities, or a plan for your partner to be present while you recover.

Why parents in NICU sepsis care are part of the treatment, not spectators

It is tempting to think of the NICU as a place where experts do the work and families wait. The evidence points the other way. Family-integrated models of neonatal care, in which parents take on hands-on roles such as feeding, comforting, changing and participating in rounds, are increasingly standard because babies do better when parents are present and involved.

Why would a parent’s presence change anything measurable? Several mechanisms are well described. A newborn’s stress response, including heart rate, oxygen levels and the stress hormone cortisol, settles faster when the baby hears a familiar voice and feels familiar touch. Pain from procedures such as heel pricks is reduced when a parent holds the baby skin-to-skin or offers breast milk during the poke. Parents also notice changes that busy staff might miss: a subtle shift in color, a new reluctance to feed, a different quality to the cry.

There is a benefit for you as well. Parents who are involved in care during a NICU stay report less anxiety and more confidence when they finally take their baby home. That matters, because the transition home after sepsis treatment can feel like stepping off a cliff.

What does involvement look like on a practical level while antibiotics are running? Ask the nurse what you can do today. Early on it may be a hand cupped gently around your baby’s head and feet, a technique sometimes called containment holding, which mimics the boundaries of the womb. Later it may be mouth care with a swab of your milk, taking temperatures, changing diapers around the IV, or holding for the full length of a feed.

You are not in the way. You are, quite literally, part of the plan.

Can I hold my baby? Skin-to-skin during NICU sepsis treatment

Skin-to-skin care, sometimes called kangaroo care, means holding your baby, dressed only in a diaper, against your bare chest, usually with a blanket over both of you. It is one of the most studied interventions in neonatal care, and it is not reserved for healthy babies.

Sepsis itself does not rule out holding. What determines timing is stability: whether the baby’s breathing, heart rate and temperature stay steady when moved, and how many lines and tubes need to be managed. A baby on a ventilator with an umbilical line may need a day or two before holding is safe, and the transfer from incubator to chest will be a two-person job with a nurse guiding the tubes. A baby on antibiotics through a simple IV in the hand can often be held from the first day of treatment.

What happens during skin-to-skin is worth understanding. Your chest warms or cools to help regulate your baby’s temperature. Breathing and heart rate tend to steady. Babies often fall into a deep, restorative sleep. For parents who are lactating, milk supply frequently responds within hours. None of this requires the baby to be well; it is precisely the sick baby who tends to benefit.

Practical tips help the session go smoothly. Wear a front-opening shirt. Use the toilet first, because sessions often last an hour or more and short sessions are more stressful for the baby than long ones. Ask the nurse to set up the reclining chair before the transfer. Expect alarms to sound as the baby settles; the nurse will tell you which ones matter.

If the team says not today, ask what would need to change for tomorrow to be a yes. That question keeps the goal on everyone’s list.

Breastfeeding a baby in the NICU during sepsis treatment: pumping, tube feeds and your milk

Breast milk is often described by neonatal teams as part of the medicine, and during sepsis treatment that is close to literal. Milk contains antibodies, white cells and proteins that line the gut and reduce the passage of bacteria into the bloodstream. It is also easier for a recovering gut to digest than formula.

That said, a baby who is septic is often too tired, too breathless or too unstable to feed at the breast at first. Many are fed through a fine tube passed through the nose or mouth into the stomach, and some have feeds paused altogether for a day or two while the gut recovers and fluids are given intravenously. Neither situation means you have missed your chance.

What it does mean is that pumping starts early and stays frequent. Guidance from the NHS and others recommends beginning to express within the first hours after birth when a baby cannot feed directly, then continuing roughly eight to ten times in 24 hours, including at least once overnight, to establish and protect supply. Hospital-grade double pumps are usually available on the unit, and lactation staff can show you hand expression, which is often more effective than a pump in the very first days.

Every drop counts. A few milliliters of colostrum can be swabbed around your baby’s mouth even when full feeds are on hold. Label containers carefully; NICUs have strict systems to be sure each baby receives only its own parent’s milk.

When your baby is ready to try the breast, the first attempts may look like licking and nuzzling rather than a full feed. That is normal. Positive time at the breast, without pressure to transfer milk, builds toward the real thing.

Formula-fed families are equally supported; the team will explain any temporary changes and why.

Bonding with a baby who is wired to monitors

Bonding does not require a baby who can be scooped up and cuddled at will. It requires repeated, predictable contact, and that is entirely possible through the porthole of an incubator.

Start with your voice. Babies recognize the voices they heard in the womb, and studies of hospitalized infants show more stable heart rates and oxygen levels when a parent speaks or sings softly nearby. Read a book, describe your day, hum the tune you cannot get out of your head. Volume matters more than content; keep it low, because a sick newborn’s nervous system is easily overloaded.

Touch comes next. Gentle, still pressure is more soothing to a septic baby than stroking, which can feel like too much stimulation. Rest a warm hand on the chest or cup the feet. Watch the monitor as you do it; many parents are startled to see the heart rate settle within a minute or two.

Scent is an underused tool. Placing a small cloth that you have worn against your skin in the incubator gives your baby a familiar smell between visits. Ask the nurse first, since some units have rules about fabric near lines.

Small rituals build the relationship even when you feel like a bystander. Being the one who takes the temperature before each feed, who does the diaper change at the same time each evening, or who sings the same song at every visit gives both of you a rhythm.

Take photographs and short videos if the unit permits it. On difficult days they remind you how far your baby has come, and they become part of the story you will tell your child later.

If you feel nothing but numbness at the cot side, say so. It is common after a traumatic birth and it does not predict the parent you will become.

What the first days and weeks of neonatal sepsis treatment usually look like

Every baby’s course is different, but the pattern has a recognizable shape. The table below sets out what parents commonly see. The timeframes are typical ranges drawn from published guidance, not a schedule your baby is obliged to follow.

Stage	Typical timing	What is usually happening	What parents can often do
Suspicion and start of treatment	Hours	Blood and other cultures taken; IV antibiotics started; monitoring begun; feeds may pause	Be present, speak softly, containment holding, begin expressing milk
Waiting for results	About 24–72 hours	Cultures incubating; team watches breathing, circulation and temperature; support adjusted	Skin-to-skin if stable, mouth care with colostrum, join ward rounds
Decision point	Around 48–72 hours	Negative cultures in a well baby often lead to stopping antibiotics; positive results shape a longer, targeted course	Ask about the plan and the expected length of treatment
Recovery on treatment	Roughly 1–3 weeks when infection is confirmed	Feeds rebuilt, breathing support reduced, lines removed as they are no longer needed	Take on more hands-on care: feeding, bathing, temperatures
Preparing for home	Final days	Baby feeding fully, stable temperature in an open cot, hearing and other checks	Room in if offered; learn warning signs and follow-up plan

The culture timing and course lengths come from MedlinePlus and Cleveland Clinic guidance on neonatal sepsis. A premature baby, or one who has needed a ventilator, may stay longer for reasons unrelated to the infection itself.

Progress rarely moves in a straight line. A baby who is holding and feeding well one day may need a little extra oxygen the next. Teams expect this and it does not usually mean the treatment is failing.

Understanding the monitors, lines and words you will hear at the cot side

The NICU has its own language, and learning a little of it reduces fear more than almost anything else.

The cardiorespiratory monitor shows heart rate, breathing rate and oxygen saturation, the percentage of red blood cells carrying oxygen, measured by a small light sensor wrapped around a foot or hand. Alarms sound when a number crosses a preset limit. Many are triggered by a wiggling foot or a stretch and clear on their own. Ask the nurse which alarms she would want to know about; the answer is usually a short list.

Lines are the tubes carrying fluids and medicines. A peripheral IV sits in a small vein in the hand, foot or scalp. A long line or PICC (a fine catheter threaded through a vein toward the heart) is used when treatment will last more than a few days. Umbilical lines, placed in the vessels of the cord stump shortly after birth, are common in the first days and are removed as soon as they are no longer needed.

You may hear a few terms over and over. Cultures are the laboratory tests growing bacteria. Empiric antibiotics means treatment chosen before the culture result is known. Apnea is a pause in breathing, and bradycardia a slow heart rate; both are common in premature babies for reasons separate from infection. Ward round is the daily team meeting at the cot side, and most units now invite parents to listen and ask questions.

Keep a notebook. Write down what you were told, by whom, and what you want to ask next time. Days blur together, and a written thread lets you see progress that is invisible hour to hour.

If a word goes past that you do not understand, stop the conversation and ask. Nobody on the unit will mind.

Looking after yourself as parents in NICU sepsis treatment

Parents often treat their own needs as an indulgence during a NICU stay. They are not. A parent who has not eaten, slept or moved is less able to advocate, less able to pump effectively, and more likely to carry the experience as trauma afterward.

The physical basics come first. If you have recently given birth, you are a patient too. Take pain relief as prescribed, keep your own postnatal appointments, and report heavy bleeding, fever or a painful, red wound to your own care team promptly. Eat regular meals; many units have a family kitchen. Drink water, especially if you are expressing milk.

Sleep is harder. Most NICUs cannot offer a bed for every parent every night, and the guilt of leaving is real. Try to reframe it: your baby is watched continuously by trained staff, and you will be more use tomorrow if you sleep tonight. Ask about phone updates at set times so you can rest without wondering.

The emotional load of watching a newborn treated for a serious infection is heavy, and it often arrives late. Parents describe intrusive images of the delivery, sudden tearfulness weeks after discharge, or a persistent sense of being on alert. These are recognized reactions to a medical crisis, not signs of weakness. Most NICUs have access to psychologists, chaplains or social workers; other parents on the unit and peer-support groups are another source of steadiness.

Share the load between parents where you can. One person at the cot side while the other sleeps, eats or looks after siblings is sustainable; two exhausted people keeping vigil is not.

If either of you begins to feel hopeless, unable to function, or frightened by your own thoughts, tell a member of staff the same day. Help is available and asking for it is part of caring for your child.

What people often get wrong about neonatal sepsis and the NICU

Misconceptions add fear to an already frightening situation. Here are the ones neonatal staff hear most often, and what the evidence actually says.

Myth: the infection is my fault. Early-onset sepsis usually stems from bacteria that live harmlessly in many healthy adults, including group B strep, which the CDC estimates about one in four pregnant women carry without symptoms. Late-onset infection is linked to prematurity and to the medical equipment that keeps babies alive. Neither reflects anything a parent did or failed to do.

Myth: if I hold my baby I could make the sepsis worse. Holding a baby who is stable enough to be moved does not spread infection and tends to steady breathing, heart rate and temperature. Hand hygiene, not distance, is what protects your baby.

Myth: antibiotics started before the results were back means the doctors guessed. Starting treatment before cultures return is the recommended approach in every major guideline, because waiting can allow infection to progress. The choice is then refined once results arrive.

Myth: negative cultures mean the whole thing was a false alarm. Cultures can be negative even when infection was present, particularly if the sample was small or the mother received antibiotics in labor. Clinicians weigh the baby’s clinical picture alongside the laboratory result.

Myth: a baby treated for sepsis will have lasting problems. Many babies recover fully. Some, especially those born very early or those whose infection reached the brain, are followed up for developmental checks. Your team can tell you which group your baby falls into rather than leaving you to assume the worst.

Myth: I should not ask questions during rounds. Parents who ask questions help teams catch errors and tailor plans. You are expected to speak up.

Questions to ask your care team during your baby's sepsis treatment

Good questions turn a bewildering experience into one you can follow. You do not need to ask them all at once, and it is fine to write them down and hand them over.

About the diagnosis and treatment, consider asking: What signs made you suspect sepsis? Which tests have been sent, and when do you expect results? Which antibiotics is my baby receiving, and what organisms are they chosen to cover? How will you decide when to stop or change them? Has a lumbar puncture been done or is one planned, and why?

About day-to-day care, useful questions include: Is my baby stable enough to be held today, and if not, what would need to change? How can I be involved in feeds and cares right now? What is the plan for building up milk feeds? Which alarms should worry me and which are routine? Can I attend ward rounds, and what time do they happen?

About the bigger picture: How is my baby doing compared with what you would expect at this stage? What are the signs you are watching for that would suggest improvement, or that the plan needs to change? Will my baby need follow-up after discharge, and with whom? Who is my main point of contact if I have a question when the doctor I know is not on shift?

About you: Is there someone I can talk to about how I am coping? Are there facilities for me to rest, eat and express milk on the unit? Can my other children visit, and under what conditions?

• Ask for a written summary of the plan if the verbal explanation was hard to absorb.
• Ask the same question of the nurse and the doctor; slightly different answers can reveal where the uncertainty lies.
• Ask what you should do if you notice something that concerns you at the cot side.

When to call your doctor: red-flag signs after NICU discharge

Once a baby treated for sepsis goes home, parents often feel two things at once: relief, and a fear that something will be missed without the monitors. Knowing exactly what to look for turns that fear into a plan.

Newborns can become seriously unwell quickly, and after a first infection your baby remains vulnerable for a time. Guidance from the NHS, Mayo Clinic and MedlinePlus identifies a consistent set of warning signs. Seek urgent medical help, calling emergency services if the baby seems very unwell, for any of the following:

• A temperature above 100.4 F (38 C) or below 97.7 F (36.5 C), or a baby who feels unusually hot or cold to the touch.
• Breathing that is fast, labored or pauses; grunting with each breath; flaring nostrils; a bluish or gray tinge to the lips, tongue or skin.
• Skin that looks mottled, very pale or blotchy, or a rash that does not fade when a glass is pressed against it.
• Refusing two feeds in a row, repeated vomiting, or vomit that is green.
• Unusual floppiness, extreme sleepiness, difficulty waking, or a high-pitched or weak cry.
• Fewer wet diapers than usual, a sunken soft spot on the head, or a bulging soft spot.
• Any fit, jerking or stiffening.

Trust your instinct as well as the list. Parents who have spent weeks at a NICU cot side know their baby’s normal better than anyone, and a strong feeling that something is wrong is a legitimate reason to seek review, even at three in the morning.

For less urgent concerns, such as a low-grade temperature that settles, mild feeding fussiness, or questions about a follow-up appointment, contact your pediatrician or the number the NICU gave you at discharge. Many units run a phone line for recently discharged families precisely because these questions are expected.

Going home after neonatal sepsis treatment: what discharge usually involves

Discharge from the NICU after sepsis is not a single decision made on one morning. It is a checklist the team works through over several days, and you will usually see it coming.

The medical criteria are consistent across most units. The antibiotic course must be complete, or the baby must be switched to a plan that can be safely continued at home. The baby needs to hold a normal temperature in an open cot without a heater, breathe comfortably in room air, and take all feeds by breast or bottle while gaining weight. Any lines will have been removed. Screening tests that were postponed during the acute illness, such as the newborn hearing test and metabolic blood spot, are completed or booked.

Your readiness matters as much as your baby’s. Many units offer rooming in, where parents stay in a family room and provide all care for 24 to 48 hours with staff nearby. It is a rehearsal for home and a chance to discover the questions you did not know you had. Expect teaching on safe sleep, feeding plans, temperature checks and the warning signs described above. If your baby needs any medicine at home, the nurse will show you how to give it and will watch you do it; decisions about what is prescribed rest with the discharging clinician.

Follow-up varies. Babies born at term who recovered promptly may need only a routine pediatric check. Those born early, or those whose infection involved the brain, are often enrolled in developmental follow-up over the first two years. Ask which applies to your child before you leave, and make sure you know who to call in the meantime.

The first night home is famously long. That is normal. You have been trained by weeks at the cot side; you know more than you think.

Frequently asked questions

Can parents visit the NICU when their baby has sepsis?

Yes. Parents are welcome at the bedside during sepsis treatment in almost all NICUs, often around the clock. The infection does not make your baby off-limits to you, and you do not pose a risk if you follow the unit’s hand hygiene routine. The main exception is if you yourself are unwell with a cold, cough, fever or stomach bug, in which case staff will ask you to stay home and can arrange video updates.

Is skin-to-skin safe during NICU sepsis treatment?

Skin-to-skin is generally safe and encouraged once the baby is stable enough to be moved, and sepsis alone does not prevent it. The care team weighs breathing, heart rate, temperature and the number of lines that need managing. Babies on ventilators or with umbilical lines may need a day or two before holding is practical. Ask each day whether it is possible and what would need to change if the answer is not yet.

How long does neonatal sepsis treatment usually last?

It depends on test results. If blood cultures stay negative and the baby looks well, antibiotics are often stopped after about 48 to 72 hours, according to MedlinePlus. When bacteria are identified, courses typically run around one to three weeks depending on the organism and whether the infection reached sites such as the spinal fluid. These are typical ranges, and the treating team sets the plan for each baby individually.

Can I breastfeed my baby in the NICU during sepsis treatment?

Often yes, though not always immediately. A baby who is unstable or breathless may be fed by tube or have feeds paused for a short time. Meanwhile, expressing milk early and frequently protects your supply, and even small amounts of colostrum can be swabbed around the baby’s mouth. As the baby recovers, lactation staff can help with early attempts at the breast, which may begin as licking and nuzzling rather than full feeds.

Did I cause my baby's sepsis?

No. Early-onset neonatal sepsis usually comes from bacteria that live harmlessly in many healthy adults, such as group B streptococcus, which the CDC estimates about one in four pregnant women carry without symptoms. Late-onset sepsis is linked mainly to prematurity and to the lines and tubes that support sick babies. Neither reflects anything a parent did or failed to do, and staff will tell you the same.

Why did they start antibiotics before the test results came back?

Because newborns can deteriorate within hours, every major guideline recommends starting intravenous antibiotics as soon as sepsis is suspected rather than waiting for cultures, which take roughly 24 to 72 hours to grow. The initial choice covers the most likely bacteria; the team then narrows, changes or stops treatment once results arrive. This is the standard pathway, not a sign that anything went wrong.

Can siblings and grandparents visit a baby with sepsis in the NICU?

Usually yes, within limits set by the unit. Many NICUs allow grandparents and siblings during set hours, alongside a parent, provided they are well, and children are often required to be up to date with vaccinations. Visits from extended family may be paused during periods when respiratory viruses are circulating widely. Ask the nurse in charge about your unit’s current policy, since rules vary between hospitals.

Will my baby have long-term problems after neonatal sepsis?

Many babies recover completely, particularly those born at term whose infection was caught and treated promptly. Some, especially very premature infants or those whose infection reached the lining of the brain, are followed up with developmental checks over the first two years. Rather than assuming the worst, ask your baby’s team which group your child falls into and what follow-up is planned.

What alarms on the NICU monitor should I worry about?

Most alarms are triggered by movement or a loose sensor and clear on their own. The ones staff act on typically involve a sustained drop in oxygen saturation, a prolonged pause in breathing, or a heart rate that stays too low or too high. Ask your baby’s nurse to show you which alarm sounds or colors matter, and remember that staff are watching the same numbers from the central station.

What are the red-flag signs after NICU discharge for a baby treated for sepsis?

Seek urgent help for a temperature above 100.4 F (38 C) or below 97.7 F (36.5 C), fast or labored breathing, a blue or gray tinge to the lips, mottled or blotchy skin, refusing two feeds in a row, green vomit, unusual floppiness or difficulty waking, a bulging or sunken soft spot, or any fit. Trust your instinct too; a strong feeling that something is wrong is a valid reason to call.

References

• MedlinePlus: Neonatal sepsis
• CDC: About Group B Strep
• NHS: Sepsis

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.