Feverish or unwell child

  • Feverish or unwell child

Feverish or unwell child

Non-urgent advice: This is general advice only

All children develop mild infections, especially when they start to mix with other children in nursery and school. We are happy to review any child, so please contact us if you are concerned.

We particularly wish to review children under 3 months or children who have a chronic health condition such as chronic lung disease or impaired immune system. Please always contact the practice, 111, or attend your nearest Emergency Department if you are concerned.

Non-urgent advice: Call 999 if you or your child:

– are struggling to breathe or talk in sentences
– are drowsy, hard to wake, or not responding like usual
– are not drinking or passing any urine in the past 4 hours
– has a rash that does not fade when you press a glass against it (use the “glass test” from Meningitis Now)

Understanding common minor ailments

Being a parent is rarely an easy job but when your child is sick it can be extremely worrying. The local NHS has produced the Little Orange Book, designed to help the parents of poorly babies and small children. The Little Orange Book is a great resource and covers everything from common minor ailments like teething, constipation and colds, through to more serious conditions like urinary tract infections and wheezy chests. The booklet uses a traffic light system to help parents and carers decide what action to take when their child is sick. It points parents in the right direction, letting them know whether self-care, consulting with a primary care professional, a 111 call, or even a visit to Accident & Emergency is the right course of action.

Pharmacist advice

Your local pharmacist can also provide help for common minor ailments such as dry skin/eczema, hay fever, constipation, and head lice or worms.

Worried about severe illness

We are very happy to review any child so please arrange an urgent or routine appointment. Importantly always get back in touch if your child is not improving as expected or gets worse whilst waiting for any appointment.

Babies under 3 months

All babies under 3 months of age with a fever need assessing in an Emergency Department. This because they are especially vulnerable to infection when so young.