Child care - Watch out for these signs and symptoms

Keep a close watch

A sick child is a parent’s greatest worry. But keeping a child untouched by illness is not an easy job. As resilient as they are, children are also equally susceptible to illnesses and ailments. Reason being their carefree attitude and lightning speed that you can’t always keep up with. Sometimes, you just can’t stop the fallen straw going back into your child’s mouth in time.

High fever

High fever in children those are older than 1 year. Fever is common in children. When the body fights an infection, its temperature spikes and although you shouldn’t go into panic mode every time your child has fever, a high fever is a cause for alarm. If the fever persists for 2 days then do not ignore, and take the child to a doctor immediately.

Bad headaches

Headaches can be caused by a number of reasons. But if it continues for few hours and is so intense that the child cannot play, watch TV or do their favourite activity, you should be concerned. If dizziness, nausea, confusion or rash accompanies the ache, rush to a doctor immediately.

Rash

Rashes are common even in adults. But a rash that spreading across the whole body isn’t normal. If you see red or purple dots or if the rash doesn’t turn white on pressing, you should seek medical care.

Stomach bug

You can never keep a track of what your child puts in his/her mouth. So stomach infections might be a common occurrence. But if it is severe diarrhea, where the child has loose motions and vomiting very frequently accompanied with severe stomachache, take him/her to a doctor. Diarrhea can lead to dehydration too, which is an added complication.

Stiff neck

If you see your child not moving its neck at all, or being very rigid in movements, it could be because of stiff neck. A stiff neck can happen due to wrong sleeping posture and may not be something to worry about. However, if the child has high persistent fever, or rashes or severe headache, you should seek medical advice immediately.

Eye infections

With the rise of pollutants in the air, eye infections are common. Pollen, dust in the house or allergies from pets may cause an eye infection. Eyes may be itchy, watery, red and maybe a bit swollen too.

But if you see blisters on the white of the eye, or such severe swelling that the eyes may not open, or continuous discharge, get the child to a doctor.

Seek medical advice

Taking care of children is not easy and you may find yourself doubting yourself as a good parent often. There is always confusion between what a serious ailment is and what is a passing thing, but if you have doubts, listen to the gut feeling and go ahead to seek medical advice. As a parent, you will always know what’s best for your child.