Parenting Blog

Are you unsure of whether your child has a common cold or something more serious? Office visits are expensive so it’s not a good idea to rack up the bill by running to the pediatrician every time you hear a sneeze, and there’s not much a doctor can do for most viral infections. Even so, there are certain symptoms that you should never ignore. So how can you tell the difference?

Any time your child’s body temperature reaches 102 degrees Fahrenheit or higher you should contact your physician or get to an emergency room immediately. Sometimes giving your child a fever reducer like Tylenol and a cold bath will bring his temperature down, but with a dangerously high fever you can’t afford to take any chances. If your baby who is six months old or younger shows signs of even a mild fever, you should seek medical help. If your child is lethargic or displaying show physical and mental reactions, or unresponsive you should get help. If he is throwing up repeatedly and hasn’t urinated in the past eight hours, or if his cold lasts over ten days with no signs of recovery or if it progressively worsens, these are times when a doctor should step in.

For a bacterial infection, a doctor will likely prescribe an antibiotic. If your child has a virus then an antibiotic will be ineffective. Ask your doctor if your child’s illness is viral or bacterial if you aren’t sure. Giving your child antibiotics when he doesn’t have a bacterial infection leads to bacterial resistance. That means that the next time your child does get a bacterial infection, antibiotics won’t work. “Superbugs” are becoming a huge concern among the medical community, and they are usually the result of doctors prescribing antibiotics when they aren’t necessary. Even though it can be reassuring for a parent of a sick child to have medication to give him, remember that viruses don’t respond to antibiotics and in essence the medication is not doing anything to help your child. It’s safer for your child to avoid antibiotics when they are not necessary. Also, when your child has a bacterial infection make sure that he takes his antibiotics for the full course of treatment; not doing so will prevent your child from recovering and will also create bacterial resistance.

Remember that the best treatment for sickness is prevention. Teach your kids from an early age to wash their hands after using the bathroom and before they eat anything. Don’t let them suck on their fingers or put toys in their mouth, and keep sanitizing gels handy wherever you go. Forming healthy habits early will make it easier for your kids to maintain them as they grow up.