When Your Child is Feeling Ill, Here’s What You Need to Do to Sort It Out

It is rarely any fun to have your precious little one feeling ill, but unfortunately, it’s all part of growing up. Even us adults get sick sometimes. And when a younger child isn’t feeling well, it can be a big to do trying to figure out what is really bothering your baby. Although every cough, sneeze, sniffle or fever does not require a trip to your medical professional, it is nice to know when and when you need to seek help.

You don’t have to be in the medical field to know that some illnesses will resolve fairly quickly on their own and other things you will feel more confident working, and then there are other troubles that will require medical attention. And after you read this, you won’t feel so much trepidation when it comes to caring for your child when he or she gets sick. As a parent, you should feel empowered as your children’s biggest advocate when it comes to their health. After all, you have been charged with their growth, development and guidance. And you love those little humans more than you love yourself, so here is how you can ease their discomfort, speed their recovery and get back to normal.

Be Observant

Have you ever looked into your child’s eyes and found them glassy and not a bright as usual? Is your child more clingy or quiet than normal? Doe he or she usually eat all of their dinners, but today only took a few nibbles? Taking notice of the little things may help you get a little jump on whatever germ or virus is trying to ruin your little one’s day. Pay attention to their eating, sleeping, playing and their sleep pattern. Often times you will notice changes in any one or more of these areas when the illness is on the doorstep.

If you happen to make any of these observations or any others that lead you to believe your child is coming down with something, you can start your plan of action. You can call your child’s doctor, you can start pushing fluids like orange juice, water and tea, you can leave the party a little early so your child can rest–you can do whatever you feel will put him or her at ease and allow them to get comfortable. Even if you are fortunate and you have affordable healthcare, calling the doctor at the first sign of illness may not be necessary, since some troubles will resolve in a day or two.

Another part of observing does require a few hands-on actions. You may want to put your thumb and index fingers to his or her lower jaw at the base of the neck to feel for swollen glands, put your hand on the forehead to gauge the fever if present, or to apply gentle pressure to the abdomen to check for any tenderness. If you can feel that the lymph nodes are enlarged, you may want to check with a physician to make sure there’s no strep throat or laryngitis. A fever simply means that the body is heating itself up to make the body inhospitable to whatever pathogen is plaguing it. But overheating can have some very unfortunate results, so you will want to monitor the temperature closely.

Know When to Keep Them Home

Most parents dread hearing their child say these five words, “Mum, I don’t feel good.” You’re thinking about what you have to do at work or what you’re going to cook for dinner. The last thing on your mind is not being able to go into work for that big meeting and staying home to nurse a sick child. And sometimes you don’t need to rearrange your entire day, other times you will. A low-grade fever is usually not a reason to keep your child home. If the low-grade fever is accompanied by something more serious like vomiting, you should reconsider sending your kid out the door. But if your child has any of the following conditions, they should stay home.

Vomiting or diarrhoea

Although this isn’t contagious per se, it is a big mess waiting to happen. If your child is voiding uncontrollably from either end or both, you will end up leaving work early and you risk your child being very uncomfortable and embarrassed.

A parasitic infection

Lice, scabies and other parasitic infections can be quickly and easily spread in a communal setting like school, summer camp and daycare. In order to keep others safe and reduce the chance that your child catches it a second time. Although lice can be taken care of at home, scabies requires prescription remedy.

Chicken Pox

This is a highly contagious and itchy condition. It involves itchy blisters, headaches, fever and fatigue.

Strep Throat

Strep throat is a very uncomfortable bacterial infection, as the swelling makes it difficult to swallow. It is contagious and it is diagnosed by having a throat culture done. It requires antibiotics prescribed by your physician.

Pink Eye

Conjunctivitis is no more contagious than the common cold and likewise, it can be caused by a bacterial or viral infection. In babies, a blocked tear duct is often the cause. Your doctor may prescribe you medicated eye drops to provide relief and to speed healing. 

Flu

Influenza is highly contagious and can even be fatal. It affects the respiratory system and may resolve on its own. Antiviral medication at the first signs of the flu can dramatically shorten the duration of the illness and it may even prevent symptoms from worsening.

Making the decision to keep a child home is pretty serious. And if your child is coming up on more than two days at home, it may be in his best interest that you seek medical attention. If your usual doctor is unable to accommodate you or answer your questions, you can visit an urgent care facility or emergency room when the symptoms are worsening or just not clearing out.

The Common Cold or Something Else?

Because so many illnesses resemble the common cold, it helps to know a little about just what cold is. A cold is a virus that takes a toll on the upper respiratory tract, the nose and throat. A cold will usually last about a week, but symptoms will often begin to subside before day seven. When fever persists for more than two days, it’s time to call a doctor. When there is ear pain, it’s time to call a doctor. When your child isn’t taking in enough fluids or food–doctor. And if there is severe or unusual drowsiness, it is time to call a physician. This doesn’t mean that your child doesn’t have a cold, but it signals that it may be more than a cold and that it may require medical intervention, like antibiotics or another prescription.

Although there are many viruses that can produce a cold, rhinoviruses are the usual cause. And younger children tend to be more likely to catch a cold, partly due to having a less mature immune system. But the bigger problem with catching a cold is that it may sometimes lead to other problems. An ear infection may develop, asthma attacks can be triggered, bronchitis or pneumonia may result, as well as other conditions. So, if you are pretty confident that your child has a common cold, give it some time and pay attention to the symptoms.

Prevention

As parents, we can’t always protect our children from everything, although we all wish that we could. But there are plenty of things that can be done to help reduce the likelihood of your children getting sick. The number one order of prevention is proper hygiene. It may sound like a simple thing to do or maybe even something that wouldn’t have much of an impact, but it definitely does. The simple act of washing your hands often can make a big difference. Hand washing should occur before meals, after using the restroom, after coughing or sneezing and after coming inside after being outside.

Childhood immunisations can prevent your children from coming down with contagious diseases like chicken pox, polio and others. And when your child is in a school or child care setting, they come into contact with many children and communal property, which makes it very easy to contract illnesses. Advising your child not to share food, drinks or clothing can be helpful. Remind them of the importance of washing their hands often, and be sure to teach them how to wash their hands properly and thoroughly. When washing your hands is not an option, hand sanitiser is better than doing nothing at all.

Our children are our most prized individuals and any responsible parent wants to see them grow strong and healthy. When your little one isn’t feeling well and not being their usually happy and carefree self, it really tugs the heartstrings. That’s why figuring out how to deal with them when they’re under the weather is so important. Don’t be afraid to call your physician or seek medical help if you are truly concerned that there may be a deeper issue at hand. It is always better to be safe than to be sorry. Hug your babies tight.

This is a collaborative post.