Here - Health Promotion Agency

Illness and accidents
After these measures, take your
child’s temperature if you have a
thermometer. If the temperature is
above 40–41˚C (104–105˚F), or your
child still feels feverish, seek advice
from your local healthcare team, GP,
GP out-of-hours service or NHS
Direct (0845 4647).
VOMITING
BABIES
Babies often sick up a bit of milk,
some a lot, without distress. But
if your baby is vomiting often or
violently and/or there are other
signs of illness, contact your GP
straight away. Your baby can lose a
dangerous amount of fluid if he or
she is sick often, especially if your
baby has diarrhoea as well (see page
93 for how to make sure your baby
is getting enough fluid).
OLDER CHILDREN
Older children can be sick once
or twice without any bother and
be well again quickly afterwards,
or after a night’s sleep. If your
older child goes on vomiting,
and/or there are other signs of
illness, contact your GP.
swallowed. In the bowel they hatch
into worms which lay eggs around
the bottom. You’ll see them in your
child’s stools, looking like tiny white
threads. Your child may have an itchy
bottom and may scratch it a lot,
especially at night.
If you think your child has worms,
see your GP or health visitor, or ask
your pharmacist for treatment.
Everybody in the family has to
be treated because the threadworm
eggs spread very easily. To prevent
the infection spreading:
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keep your child’s nails short;
let your child wear pyjamas or
pants in bed;
bath your child or wash around
the bottom each morning;
keep your child’s towel separate;
make sure everyone in the family
washes their hands and scrubs
their nails before every meal and
after going to the toilet;
disinfect the toilet seat, toilet
handle or chain regularly;
vacuum and dust bedrooms
thoroughly.
SPOTTING A RASH
Rashes look different on
different people. The colour
of spots can vary and, on a
black skin, rashes may be
less easy to see. If in doubt,
check with your GP.
Small children and babies
sometimes get rashes that are
not due to infectious illnesses
and which soon go without
treatment. For information
about meningitis and
septicaemia, see page 100.
● Give your child plenty to drink –
clear drinks rather than milk.
Don’t bother about food unless
he or she wants it.
THREADWORMS
Many children get threadworms.
They spread by producing large
numbers of tiny eggs which cannot
be seen with the eye. The eggs are
present in dust and stick to food,
carpets, towels, bedlinen and toilet
seats. Because they are so small and
widespread they get on fingers and
under fingernails and are easily
KAWASAKI DISEASE
This disease affects up to 2,000 children a year, mainly the under fives,
but is not very well known. A diagnosis is important because of the risk
of serious complications, which include coronary artery disease.
Although it affects all children, it appears to be more common in
children of Asian and African-Caribbean origin.The child has a high
fever lasting more than five days without any obvious cause and at least
four of the following symptoms:
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conjunctivitis (red infected eyes);
a rash;
dry, red, swollen lips or a ‘strawberry tongue’;
redness and/or swelling of the arms and legs or general
peeling of the skin;
swollen glands.
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