For most situations, parents should call their child’s pediatrician first. If it is a life-threatening illness or injury, then the child should go to an emergency room that provides pediatric care.
There are many childhood illnesses that only need over-the-counter medications and rest at home. Some of these symptoms include:
- Nasal and/or chest congestion
- Coughing
- A decrease in appetite
- Fever (a temperature of 100.4 or higher in children over 2 months old)
- Fussiness and poor feeding in infants
- Runny nose
- Sneezing
- Sore throat
Go to the Pediatrician or Urgent Care
Call or take your child to their pediatrician or an urgent care center (over 1-year-old unless the facility has a pediatrician on staff) if they have:
- Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea that lasts longer than one week or causes dehydration
- Coughs, colds and sore throats that last longer than one week
- Upset stomach that lasts longer than a few days
- A barking or wheezing cough, but no difficulty breathing
- Bladder and urinary tract infections
- Bumps, minor cuts and scrapes
- Earaches
- Sinus pain that lasts longer than a few days
- Skin problems
- Sprains and strains
Go to the Emergency Room
Take your child to the emergency room if they have the following:
- Struggle or difficulty breathing
- Quick, shallow breaths
- Flaring nostrils, belly breathing or head bobbing
- Blue lips or fingernail beds
- Dehydration, which shows as fewer tears when crying, fatigue, irritability and a decrease in how often they urinate. Infants will typically have fewer wet diapers—less than six wet diapers a day—and a soft spot that looks sunken on top of the head.
- Severe allergic reaction (shortness of breath, lip/oral swelling, persistent vomiting, altered mental status)
- High fever with headache and stiff neck
- Suddenly hard to wake up
- Sudden loss of sight, speech or movement
- Broken bone pushing through the skin
- Body part near an injured bone that is numb, tingling, weak, cold or pale
- Heavy bleeding or deep wound
- Serious burn
- Coughing or throwing up blood
- Fast heartbeat that doesn’t slow down
- Vomiting followed by dry mouth, not crying tears, no urination in more than eight hours or acting very sleepy/“out of it”
- Rectal temperature greater than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit in children less than 2 months old
Call 911
Call 911 right away if your child has the following:
- Choking
- Severe difficulty breathing
- Child is not breathing or has turned blue
- Head injury and the child is unconscious
- Injury to neck or spine
- Bleeding that can’t be stopped
- Severe burn
- Seizure lasting more than five minutes
Always call your child’s pediatrician if you are not sure what to do. There is always someone on call to help – even at night, on weekends and on holidays.
It is also suggested that parents and caregivers take a first aid class specifically for children, so they know how to respond in an emergency.
More to Read
- Allergic Reactions: Why Reacting Quickly Saves Lives
- Does Your Burn Need Medical Attention?
- Sprain vs. Strain: How to Recognize and Treat Each Injury
- Broken Bones: How to Spot Them and Where to Seek Care
- The Top 10 Signs You Might Need a Concussion Test
- Urinary Tract Infections: Prevention is Key
- Contact Dermatitis: Is Your Laundry Detergent Causing a Skin Rash?
Medically reviewed by Rebecca Carter, MD.
