Keeping Your Cool When Your Child Gets Sick

Keeping Your Cool When Your Child Gets Sick

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Illness can be frightening especially when the patient is your youngster. Deciding when it is time to head to the doctor and when it is time to wait it out can be a bit of a challenge but there are some guidelines that new parents should know that could help them make a better decision on when to seek medical attention for their child.

Childhood really could be described as a sick prone time in a child's life and as a parent you need to know that not every cold or flu warrants a doctor visit. Part of a normal childhood involves coughing, sneezing and even vomiting but that is still no reason to panic. If there is a fever and/or a temperature present, which sometimes happens, it is always good to keep a close check on these two factors and it is also a good idea to have a way to monitor the child even if the child is not very cooperative because a sick child is often less cooperative.

There are devices that can be just adhered to the child's skin or can take a child's temperature through their ear and these devices can be extremely helpful in keeping a watchful eye to make sure that a child's temperature doesn't exceed 104 degrees Fahrenheit. A temperature that exceeds that and can not be brought down using pain relievers, rubbing alcohol, or ice baths should be cause for immediate concern and a child should be taken to the local emergency room at once.

Let me point out at this time the reasons why it is very important to not let the body temperature go above 104 degrees. Once the temperature exceeds this number, the risk of a heart attack, stroke or multiple seizures are very possible. This could result in long term brain damage or even be fatal.

If there is just a couple of vomiting episodes, there probably isn't cause to panic. However if the vomiting happens continually and is accompanied by diarrhea, this could easily cause dehydration, which in turn could cause other serious medical complication and side effects. After you have administered fluids and the vomiting happens only occasionally everything should be fine. Confusion and/or extreme weakness are dehydration signs and should be your clue to seek medical help usually in the form of doctor examination and possible IV fluids that will help rehydrate until the vomiting stops.

Childhood is notorious for having the risk of kids getting sick; this for the most part is natural and normal. Parents, especially new parents have the uncanny ability to panic is such situations, until they learn a few basic facts about childhood and the sickness factors. Learning to use their parent's intuition is always a plus and when in doubt seek medical help; it is better to be safe than sorry.


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