Serious childhood illnesses: what to do
Babies and young children with the signs and symptoms listed in this article are at risk of serious illnesses.
If you notice any of the problems listed below, seek medical attention as soon as possible. You know your child best, so trust your instincts if your child doesn’t seem well.
The quickest way to get immediate medical attention is either to call 000 and ask for an ambulance or to take your child to the emergency department at your nearest hospital.
When to call an ambulance for childhood illnesses
If you notice any of the following signs and symptoms, call 000 and ask for an ambulance:
- severe drowsiness or unresponsiveness
- difficulty breathing or unusual breathing
- cold hands or feet, or pale, blotchy or blue skin
- seizures
- a rash that doesn’t fade when you press your child’s skin.
There’s more information about these signs and symptoms below.
Drowsiness and unresponsiveness
It’s normal for your child to be sleepy sometimes – for example, after a feed. But if your child seems sleepier than usual, this can be a sign of serious childhood illnesses.
If you can’t wake your child even when you try really hard many times, get help immediately.
Unresponsiveness can be a sign of several serious childhood illnesses and conditions, including low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) or a life-threatening brain infection (meningitis).
Difficulty breathing or unusual breathing
If your child is having difficulty breathing, you might notice that they:
- have to breathe much harder to get air into their lungs
- have a persistent cough or wheeze
- breathe and the muscles between their ribs pull in
- can’t make any conversation or sounds.
In severe cases, your child might look very tired and blue. They might be quiet or make a grunting noise with each breath.
These breathing symptoms might be caused by conditions like a chest infection (pneumonia) or severe asthma.
Cold hands or feet, or pale, blotchy or blue skin
Cold hands or feet or pale, blotchy or blue skin might be caused by poor blood circulation or low levels of oxygen in the body, both of which can happen in serious childhood illnesses like bacterial infections or pneumonia.
Seizures
If your child is having a seizure, their eyes might roll backwards. They might be unresponsive, shake violently in all limbs for a short time, and have shallow or unusual breathing.
At this age, a seizure is most likely a febrile seizure. Febrile seizures aren’t serious and sometimes happen when children have fevers. But occasionally seizures might be a sign of a serious brain infection.
Rash (positive glass test)
Skin spots or blotches that don’t fade when you press a glass firmly against your child’s skin can be an early sign of a life-threatening meningococcal infection.
When to go to a hospital emergency department for childhood illnesses
If you notice any of the following signs and symptoms, take your child straight to the nearest emergency department:
- persistent irritability or unusual or continuous crying
- less wee than usual
- poor feeding
- frequent or blood-stained or green vomiting
There’s more information about these signs and symptoms below.
Irritability or unusual or continuous crying
All babies and young children cry. But your child might have a serious illness or be in pain if they are:
- persistently irritable
- crying in a high-pitched, weak or other unusual way
- continuously crying
- very hard to settle.
Less wee than usual
An early sign of many serious illnesses is fewer wet nappies than usual – that is, fewer than half the number of wet nappies your child usually has each day. It could mean your child has dehydration.
Poor feeding
If your child isn’t feeding well or has no interest in feeding, this could be an early sign of childhood illness.
Frequent or blood-stained or green vomiting
Vomiting is a normal way for the body to get rid of something it doesn’t want. It can also be a sign of illness, infection or obstruction.
Vomiting that doesn’t stop can cause dehydration and dangerous imbalances in the body’s chemical system.
Go to an emergency department if your child:
- is vomiting blood-stained or green fluid
- has persistent or severe pain with vomiting
- can’t eat or drink anything and is still vomiting after 12 hours (children under 5 years) or 24 hours (children over 5 years).
Fever: when to be concerned about serious illness
A fever is a temperature higher than 38°C. Most children with a fever don’t have a serious illness.
But in some cases, a fever can be a sign of a more serious infection:
- If your child aged 0-1 month has a fever, take them to the nearest hospital emergency department as soon as possible.
- If your child aged 1-12 months has a fever, take them to a GP as soon as possible.
- If your child aged over 12 months has a fever, take them to a GP if their fever lasts more than 4 days or if you’re worried for any other reason.