Is your newborn feeling unusually warm, feeding less than usual, or showing signs of illness? A fever during the first months of life can be a sign of a serious infection, even when your baby appears otherwise healthy.
Dr. Balasundari Krishnan, a board-certified pediatrician at DFW Physicians Medical Associates (DFWPMA) in Corpus Christi, provides pediatric evaluations and guidance for families concerned about their newborn’s health, helping parents understand symptoms and determine the appropriate level of medical care.
Important: If your baby is younger than 3 months and has a temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, seek immediate medical evaluation at an emergency department.
Do not wait for a routine pediatric appointment, even if your baby appears well.
Book an appointment online or call (361) 462-4159 to contact our Corpus Christi location.
Dr. Krishnan accepts Medicaid and many major insurance plans. Not sure if your plan is accepted?
Call (361) 462-4159 and our team can help verify coverage.
Dr. Balasundari Krishnan is a board-certified pediatrician in Corpus Christi who provides newborn health evaluations, illness assessments, and follow-up care. She helps parents understand their newborn fever symptoms, recognize potential signs of infection, and determine when additional testing, specialist evaluation, or emergency medical care is necessary.
With pediatric residency training at Driscoll Children’s Hospital and an ongoing hospital affiliation, Dr. Krishnan brings specialized pediatric experience to the evaluation of newborn health concerns.
Her approach emphasizes careful clinical assessment, early recognition of potentially serious conditions, and clear communication with parents about appropriate next steps.
If a newborn’s symptoms or examination findings require specialized attention, Dr. Krishnan can coordinate referrals to appropriate pediatric specialists. Newborns with suspected serious infections or urgent medical concerns should receive immediate emergency evaluation.
More reasons to choose Dr. Krishnan for your newborn’s pediatric care include:
A newborn fever evaluation involves assessing your baby’s temperature, overall appearance, feeding, hydration, breathing, and possible signs of infection. The specific examination and testing depend on your baby’s age, medical history, symptoms, and clinical condition.
At DFWPMA in Corpus Christi, Dr. Krishnan provides pediatric assessments and follow-up care when an outpatient visit is appropriate. Because fever in babies younger than 3 months can indicate a serious infection, these infants require immediate medical evaluation, often in an emergency department where specialized testing and treatment are available.
Depending on your newborn’s condition and the appropriate care setting, a fever-related evaluation may include:
Not every newborn requires the same tests or treatments. However, a baby younger than 3 months with a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher needs immediate medical evaluation, even without other symptoms. Routine outpatient follow-up should not replace emergency assessment when it is medically indicated.
Prompt newborn fever care is important because infants in their first months of life have developing immune defenses and may develop serious infections without obvious warning signs.
Although many fevers are caused by viral infections, some newborns develop bacterial infections involving the urinary tract, bloodstream, or tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
Early medical evaluation helps identify potentially dangerous conditions, determine whether diagnostic testing is necessary, and begin appropriate treatment before complications develop.
Key benefits of prompt newborn fever evaluation and appropriate follow-up care include:
What can happen if newborn fever is not evaluated promptly? Delaying medical evaluation for a newborn with fever can allow a serious infection to progress before treatment begins.
Depending on the underlying condition, untreated bacterial infections may lead to sepsis, meningitis, dehydration, organ injury, permanent neurological complications, or death.
Not every newborn with a fever has a dangerous infection, but parents cannot reliably distinguish a mild illness from a serious infection based on appearance alone. For babies younger than 3 months, a temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher requires immediate medical evaluation, even if the baby seems comfortable or continues feeding normally.
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