When to seek medical attention
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Your child is unwell, when do you seek medical attention?
It is sometimes a difficult call to know exactly when to seek medical attention.
When your child is unwell knowing whether to seek medical advice or wait and see or treat at home is a common quandary.
The line between when a child who is sick to a child who has become very unwell and needs immediate medical attention can sometimes be blurred or unfortunately sometimes the change can happen very quickly.
If you are in doubt then it is always best to seek medical advice rather than wait.
When to seek immediate medical attention
- If you child has a temperature of more than 38’C, especially if they are under 3 months old.
- If you child has a high temperature and it doesn’t seem to go down even after medication or attention (such as cooling by removing clothes, etc). This also includes if your child has had a frequent high temperature over a period of hours/days.
- If your child has febrile convulsions.
- Anytime your instincts say something isn’t quite right, when they have been unwell for more than 48 hours or when you feel worried.
- If the symptoms such as coughing, lethargy, listlessness, a rash, or difficulty in breathing or vomiting and diarrhea.
- If they display symptoms to serious conditions such as meningitis.
Renae (Seriously Kids)
Renae is the founder & CEO of SK who has been working with families for decades. Her educational background and experience in the Early Childhood sector, as well as Social Science and Community Services has provided a broad base to her approach which focuses on balancing the informative but never at the expense of providing an entertaining read. From working in the private setting, not for profit, as well as government agencies and at times combining her love of travel and work on a global scale, she is also a mum who has experienced the poo blowouts, the shopping tantrums and the sleepless nights.
