Newborn early-sign awareness before discharge
We are creating clear, compassionate education that helps parents recognize newborn warning signs before they leave the hospital or birthing center, with the larger goal of making early-sign awareness part of discharge policy.
If you are even a little concerned
The first several days after birth are especially important. Newborn infections, breathing problems, jaundice, seizures, and head injuries can become serious quickly and may affect the brain or body before symptoms look dramatic.
Parents should never feel embarrassed for seeking care. If something feels off, call the pediatrician or nurse line now. If your newborn has a fever of 100.4°F or higher, trouble breathing, blue or gray color, seizure-like movement, extreme sleepiness, or you cannot wake them normally, go to emergency care or call 911.
Even if someone says it will probably be fine, keep treating your concern as urgent if symptoms continue, worsen, or your instincts say your baby is not right. Ask to be seen, ask again, seek a second medical opinion, or go straight to the hospital.
Why it matters
Newborns cannot tell us what hurts. Early symptoms can be subtle: a different cry, unusual sleepiness, poor feeding, yellowing skin, a fever, or breathing that does not look right. Families deserve a calm, memorable guide before they are in a frightening moment.
Early Signs Foundation is raising funds to produce and distribute a professionally made video that can be shown to parents before they are discharged from hospitals and birthing centers. The bigger goal is to make newborn early-sign awareness a routine part of policy, not something families have to discover after a crisis begins.
The campaign
Donations support scripting with clinical review, filming, editing, captions, translation-ready assets, and outreach to hospitals, birthing centers, birth workers, pediatric offices, and community organizations.
Early Signs: A Newborn Warning Signs Guide
Fundraising now for productionCampaign roadmap
Each milestone is public so supporters can see exactly what their donations unlock. The first goal is intentionally reachable: complete the first video, then build toward clinical review, community distribution, and hospital or birthing-center adoption.
Create the first short warning-sign video with a simple script, visual examples, editing, and captions for parents to watch before leaving care.
First milestone: discharge-ready video draftAdd pediatric review, stronger captions, a printable checklist, and translation-ready files so the message is clearer, safer, and ready for care teams to review.
Second milestone: reviewed parent education toolkitPublicize the video with social clips, QR-code flyers, and direct outreach to hospitals, birthing centers, birth workers, and community groups.
Third milestone: outreach for policy and discharge useWhat the video will cover
This is educational content, not a diagnosis tool. The video will teach families the signs that should trigger a call to a clinician, urgent care, emergency care, or 911. Severe newborn illness can lead to brain injury, seizures, hearing or vision loss, developmental delay, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, or death, especially when treatment is delayed.
Doctors may evaluate for: sepsis, meningitis, pneumonia, urinary infection, or another serious infection.
Can lead to: shock, seizures, brain injury, hearing loss, developmental delay, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, or death in severe cases.
Doctors may evaluate for: high bilirubin, dehydration, feeding problems, blood-type incompatibility, liver or blood conditions.
Can lead to: kernicterus, hearing loss, movement problems, vision problems, developmental delay, or CP-like motor disability if bilirubin reaches dangerous levels.
Doctors may evaluate for: neonatal seizures caused by infection, low oxygen, stroke, bleeding, low blood sugar, or metabolic problems.
Can lead to: epilepsy, developmental delay, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, or signs of an underlying brain injury depending on the cause.
Doctors may evaluate for: respiratory distress, infection, heart problems, aspiration, or oxygen-level problems.
Can lead to: low oxygen, organ stress, brain injury, seizures, developmental delay, or death if severe and untreated.
Doctors may evaluate for: traumatic brain injury, skull fracture, bleeding, concussion, or non-accidental trauma.
Can lead to: seizures, brain injury, vision problems, developmental delay, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, or death depending on severity.
When in doubt
For a newborn, it is always reasonable to call your pediatrician, nurse line, local emergency number, or 911 when symptoms feel urgent. The video will teach parents to trust early concern, act fast, and seek care before a subtle sign becomes a crisis.
Give today
Your donation helps create the first Early Signs video, then expands the roadmap into clinical review, accessible materials, public outreach, and a push for hospitals and birthing centers to show it before families go home.
