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Recognising serious illness

 

How do you know when your child's illness is minor and when it might be more serious?

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Recent research has pointed to signs which might indicate that your baby or young child should be seen immediately by a doctor. Signs of illness to watch out for:

  • drowsiness
  • decreased activity or lethargy
  • breathing difficulty
  • poor circulation
  • poor feeding
  • poor urine output.

Signs of illness to look out for

The more of these signs your baby or young child has, the more chance there is that they have a potentially serious illness. See the doctor if any one of these signs is present in your child.

If your child shows more than one of the following signs, seek urgent medical attention.

Drowsiness

Your baby is less alert than usual. She makes less eye contact, and is generally less aware of sounds and movement and of the immediate environment. The more drowsy the baby, the greater the chance of serious illness.

Decreased activity

Your baby is less active, and moves her arms and legs less. She may just tend to lie around, or want to be cuddled by a parent, rather than be involved in activities that she usually likes.

Breathing difficulty

This is an important sign of a potentially serious illness. The baby may be breathing very quickly, or grunting with each breath. She may be coughing continuously. With each breath you may notice the muscles between the ribs being sucked in, or the baby may be blue around the mouth.

Poor circulation

Your baby may look paler than usual, and this can last for up to several hours. Your baby’s hands and feet may be cold or even blue.

Poor feeding

Your baby drinks much less than usual. Breastfed babies will suck less strongly and for shorter periods of time. Bottle-fed babies take less than half the normal amount of milk that they normally drink in 24 hours. The baby may not be very interested in feeding in general.

Poor urine output

The baby has fewer than four wet nappies in 24 hours.

When to get urgent medical attention

Call the doctor straight away if any of the following happen:
  • Your baby vomits green fluid.
  • Your baby has a convulsion (fit).
  • Your baby has a very high temperature (fever); more than 38°C. (Note that a high fever is potentially much more serious in a baby of less than six months than it is in an older child. Fever in a baby always needs medical attention, as it is more likely to indicate a significant and potentially serious infection.)
  • Your baby stops breathing for more than 15 seconds (apnoeic episode).
  • Your baby has a lump in the groin area (hernia).

In babies and young children, illness can progress more quickly. If in doubt, seek medical advice.

You might put off seeing the doctor for all kinds of reasons. You may not want to worry the doctor, with what may turn out to be a trivial illness, especially at night, or if you think that the doctor is very busy. You may be anxious that your fears are groundless and that you will look foolish if your baby turns out to have a minor illness. The doctor’s job isn’t just to diagnose and treat illness: doctors are also there to reassure you that your child is well. Seeing the doctor can make you feel a lot less anxious.

Most general practitioners will always find time to see a child if the parents are worried. If you have repeated difficulty getting an early appointment for your baby to be seen by a doctor, or if you are made to feel guilty for ‘wasting the doctor’s time’, then it may be time to find a different doctor. Most accredited GP clinics allow for emergency appointments throughout the day. Make sure you have phone numbers for the clinic’s after-hours services.

If you are worried about your baby or young child for any reason, seek medical advice straight away.