HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOUR CHILD IS SICK? By Dr Julie Taylor
not really help. If a cough lasts for more than 3 weeks, speak to your GP surgery. Croup is a bark-like cough that usually affects children under 3, but can occur in older children. It is usually worse at night. Try to keep your child calm, croup is worse if they are upset or anxious. Sitting up can help with the cough. Give them plenty to drink to keep them hydrated. If your child is having problems breathing or is not settling, seek medical advice.
When your child is ill, it is worrying and it can often be difficult to know when to seek medical advice. This article explains how to manage common problems and how to recognise when your child is really unwell.
Although this is scary, it is usually not serious and will normally stop in 5 minutes. Unless your child has previously had a febrile convulsion and you know what to do, call 999 for an ambulance. Make sure they can’t injure themselves on anything and roll them onto their side in Temperature the recovery position. Bringing a A temperature is part of the body’s temperature down does not prevent normal immune response to febrile convulsions. infection and helps the body fight infection. It does not harm your Coughs and colds child, although when they have Children often get a noisy or rattly a high temperature they tend to chest with a cold, but this does not seem less well. If your child has mean they have a chest infection. a temperature, take off their outer Children with a chest infection will clothing to allow them to cool often be more unwell. If your child down. You can give paracetamol has difficulties breathing, seek urgent or ibuprofen if your child seems medical attention. Children will get bothered by the temperature but 8 or more coughs and colds a year you do not need to treat it. and these can last for 2-3 weeks. Snot can be anything from clear to Young children can sometimes have green or yellow. Antibiotics are often a fit when they have a temperature. not needed and cough syrups do
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Sore throat Most sore throats will get better on their own after 3 days without treatment, but some can last longer. Many children have big tonsils and they can look red when they have a throat infection. Most throat infections are caused by viruses and do not need antibiotics. If your child seems very unwell or has a sore throat and temperature for more than 3 days without a cough, speak to the GP surgery or call 111. Giving paracetamol or ibuprofen can help ease symptoms. Ear ache Ear infections are often caused by viruses and don’t need antibiotics. Some children complain of ear ache when they have a sore throat. Give paracetamol or ibuprofen to settle the pain. The symptoms usually get better in less than one week. If your child has a discharge from the ear or is under two and has infection in both ears, then they may need antibiotics so seek medical advice. Not eating and drinking Children often go off food and drink when they are unwell. Most children can go a few days without eating much – they often regain any weight
