Q: How can I know if my child is really sick?
A:
Dr. Lennox
Huang
is the Deputy Chief of
Pediatrics at McMaster
Children’s Hospital. House
Calls is written by experts at
Hamilton Health Sciences
hospitals. Send questions to
gohealth@thespec.com.
Determining if your child is really sick can be quite difficult. Children aren’t always able to tell you
exactly what is bothering them. Pediatricians and pediatric nurses train for years to learn how to tell
how sick a child is.
Young infants and newborns mainly eat, sleep, cry and create messy diapers. It can be especially challenging
for new parents to know if their infant is sick enough to need medical attention. Older children are often better
able to tell you when something is bothering them. Some of the most common reasons children require medical
attention are breathing problems, fevers, and dehydration. Here are some tips you can use at home to help you
determine if your child is really sick.
Trouble Breathing
Difficulty breathing is a concerning symptom. Health care professionals look for the following when trying to
decide if a child is having significant problems breathing:

very noisy breathing

short of breath with little activity

breathing quickly

blue or very pale in colour

flaring of nostrils

sucking in of skin between ribs
Fevers
A fever (temperature higher than 38 degrees C) in an infant under three months of age should be evaluated by a
medical professional.
For older children, fevers are common with colds and a normal, healthy school-aged child can have up to six or
seven colds in a season. However, if your child’s fever is high (higher than 39 C) lasting more than a day or
two, with symptoms of being hard to wake, having little interest in playing, or experiencing seizures, he should
be evaluated by a medical professional.
Dehydration
Vomiting and diarrhea are common problems when children are ill, which for the most part do not require
medical attention. Your child, however, should see a physician if you are starting to be concerned that they are
becoming dehydrated. Symptoms include:

sunken eyes

refusing all food/liquids

little urine

dry mouth

weight loss
Aches and pains
Most young children are very active and can get minor aches and pains from regular play. You should seek
medical advice, however, if your child experiences persistent pain, or severe pain that limits his mobility.
Persistent bone pain or back pain is very rare in healthy children and should be brought to a doctor’s attention.
This short list of symptoms is not meant to be a substitute for medical advice. As a parent, you usually know
your child the best and, if in doubt, trust your instincts and contact a physician or Telehealth Ontario at 1-866797-0007.
House Calls appears in the Hamilton Spectator every Friday and features general health information from experts at
Hamilton Health Sciences’ family of hospitals. Readers are invited to send questions about their personal and family
health to gohealth@thespec.com or House Calls, The Hamilton Spectator, 44 Frid Street, Hamilton, L8N 3G3