Baby Care

When your child gets sick, how can you tell what may be wrong? How can you be confident about calling the doctor or not ? And what are the best ways of nursing your sick child safely back to good health again?

It is not usually hard to tell if your child is unwell. Any change in his normal pattern of behavior—lack of energy or a sudden loss of interest in food, for example—will put you on the alert. In addition, there are the obvious signs of illness: hot, flushed, and dry skin; unusual pallor and coldness; aches and pains; watery eyes, runny nose, or coughing; swollen glands; rashes and bumps; nausea or diarrhea. Or your child may just seem generally irritable, listless and off-color. At this stage, you may not be able to tell whether he is suffering from some minor upset or “sickening for something” more serious. So, play safe, and put him to bed or keep him quiet, away from other children, and watch how things develop.

Meanwhile, offer your child plenty of liquids —water, fruit juice, milk, or soup—as often as he wants it, but if he doesn’t feel like eating,  don’t press him to do so. If he is vomiting or has diarrhea, stop all feeding for an hour or so to give his insides a chance to recover. Then, try offering him a teaspoonful or two of plain water. If this stays down, repeat the dose three or four times, about every 15 minutes and then gradually increase the water to around half a glassful, sweetened with fruit juice or glucose. A jug or Thermos by the bed will save too many journeys to the kitchen. If he vomits again, go back to square one: offer him nothing for a further hour or two and gradually work your way up again. Continue with the half-glasses about once an hour until he seems better.

In general, vomiting or any other symptom that does not disappear quickly, or that tends to recur, means that you should call the doctor. After a few hours—or possibly overnight—you will probably have some idea of the nature of your child’s illness But if Billy has been ill since before lunch, or if his symptoms develop in the early evening, it is better to call the doctor then and there, rather than waiting until midnight when things seem much more desperate. From your description of the illness, the doctor will be able to decide how urgently he is needed, and he may also give you some advice on how to care for your little patient.