When crying signals something more

Call your pediatrician or head to urgent care for these red flags: a cry that is unusually high-pitched, weak, or moaning; fever over 100.4°F (38°C) rectally in a baby under 3 months; vomiting that is projectile or bile-colored; blood in stool or vomit; a stiff, arched body during the cry; or inconsolable crying lasting more than three hours. Also worth an urgent call: sudden onset of intense crying in a previously calm baby, especially with pulled-up legs (possible intussusception) or refusing multiple feeds in a row. Trust your instincts. If something feels wrong even without a specific red flag, that gut sense is worth acting on. Providers would rather hear a concern that turns out to be nothing than miss something that mattered.