Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Common Infant and Newborn Problems
It is hard when your baby is sick. Common health problems in babies include colds, coughs, fevers, and vomiting. Babies also commonly have skin problems, like diaper rash or cradle cap.
Many of these problems are not serious. It is important to know how to help your sick baby, and to know the warning signs for more serious problems. Trust your intuition - if you are worried about your baby, call your health care provider right away.
It sits within Children and Teenagers.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- 11 Common Conditions in NewbornsAmerican Academy of Pediatrics
- What Are Some of the Basics of Infant Health?Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Treatments and Therapies
- How to Give Your Child MedicineAmerican Academy of Family Physicians
- How to Treat Diaper RashAmerican Academy of Dermatology
- Should You Give Kids Medicine for Coughs and Colds?Food and Drug Administration
- Treating Vomiting: What to Do When Your Child is Throwing UpAmerican Academy of Pediatrics
- Use Caution When Giving Cough and Cold Products to KidsFood and Drug Administration
- What's a Tear Duct Probe (Treating Tear-Duct Blockage)? (For Parents)Nemours Foundation
- What's Tear Duct Massage (Treating Tear-Duct Blockage)? (For Parents)Nemours Foundation
Related Issues
- Choosing a Pediatrician for Your New BabyNemours Foundation
- Getting the Most From a Doctor's VisitNemours Foundation
- Sick Baby? When to Seek Medical AttentionMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Diaper RashNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Infant, Newborn, DiseasesNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Infantile ColicNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Infant, Newborn, Diseases. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Common Infant and Newborn Problems, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.