Conflict of Interest

We have a newborn baby (actually, lots!). But, when we rounded on one of them yesterday afternoon, the mother complained that the baby was not eating well, and had not had wet diapers. The nurse said the baby had a fever. I asked what the temp was, and of course, she hadn't taken  it. Tactile fever! :) So, we took the temperature, and it was 102.4. I asked her to notify the doctor and he said to give Tylenol. I rounded again last night, and the temperature was 103.2. I told the nurse to call the doctor. This time, the doctor said to give the baby a cold bath. That's all fine and dandy, but it does nothing about why the baby has a fever. Being from the western world, I was very concerned and felt the baby should be treated for an infection. That can be serious in a newborn. This morning, I explained it to our doc when he arrived. He agreed with me. We weighed the baby and the baby has lost weight. Normal within the first few days of life But not when you only weigh 4 lbs to begin with, you're not eating, have no urine output, are irritable and still have a fever of 101. Unfortunately, not our hospital. Dr. Jha feels like the baby has a fever because it's 115 outside. Healthy infants can still maintain their temp. I don't like it, but the baby was sent home. One more down.