Here - Health Promotion Agency

6 Illness and
accidents
Every child gets ill occasionally and every parent has had that
feeling of anxiety as they see their normally cheerful child looking
sad and listless. Most bouts of illness pass quickly and leave
children better able to resist the next attack. Sometimes, if the illness or
accident is serious, immediate (and possibly long-term) help is needed.
This chapter deals with common childhood illnesses and accidents,
the best ways to prevent them, and the action to take in an emergency.
K NOWING WHEN
YOUR CHILD IS ILL
Sometimes there’s no doubt, but
often it’s difficult to tell whether a
child is ill. Children may be listless,
hot and miserable one minute, and
running around quite happily the
next. Watch out for:
•
some sign of illness (like
vomiting or a temperature,
cough, runny nose, runny eyes);
•
behaviour that’s unusual for
your child (like a lot of crying,
being very irritable or refusing
food and drink, being listless or
drowsy).
Possible signs of illness are always
more worrying if your child is a
baby or very small. To know when
to consult the doctor about your
baby, see the box on this page.
If your child is older and you’re
not sure whether or not to see the
doctor, you might want to carry on
normally for a while and see
whether the signs of illness or pain
continue. It might be best not to let
your child see you watching. Most
children can put on an act, especially
if they see you’re worried.
Above all, trust your feelings.
You know better than anyone
what your child is like day-to-day,
so you’ll know what’s unusual or
worrying. If you’re worried,
contact your doctor. Even if it
turns out that nothing is wrong,
that is exactly what you need
to know.
If you have seen your GP or
health visitor and your baby isn’t
getting better or is getting worse,
contact your GP again the same day.
If you become worried and you
can’t get hold of your GP or your
GP can’t come to you quickly
enough, then take your baby straight
to the Accident and Emergency
department of the nearest hospital,
one with a children’s ward if
possible. It’s worth finding out in
advance where this is, in case you
ever need it.
If you’re seriously worried
and/or know your child
needs urgent attention, phone
your GP at any time of the
day or night. There may be a
different number for when the
surgery is closed. If you can’t
contact a GP, go directly to
the Accident and Emergency
department of the nearest
hospital. See the inside back
cover for what to do in an
emergency.
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