It is important to be aware of when to spot if your child is seriously unwell. The main thing is to trust your instincts, but there are also signs to look out for;
- A high temperature above 38c and your baby is under 6 months old.
- Changes in your baby's breathing (such as your baby is breathing faster or breathing is noisy).
- Your baby is hard to wake/floppy.
- Your baby has had a fit (also known as a seizure) for the first time.
- Your baby’s nappies are dry and they are refusing feeds, so they appear dehydrated.
- Your baby has a rash that does not disappear when you press a glass against it.
If your baby has any of the above symptoms, it is important to seek urgent medical advice by calling 999.
If you cannot make voice calls, you can now contact the 999 emergency services by SMS text from your mobile phone. Emergency SMS is part of the standard 999 service which has been designed specifically for people with hearing loss or difficulty with speech.
If it is not a medical emergency but you need medical advice for your baby you can contact;
- Your GP during the day between Monday to Friday.
- Call NHS 111 during evenings and weekends.
- If your baby is under 6 months old and it's hard for a doctor or nurse to assess them over the phone – you can go to the walk-in centre or, if you're very worried, take them to accident and emergency (A&E).
Read more about spotting illness
