Knowing when to Take Your Child to the Doctor

When it comes to our children, we want to know with certainty that they are healthy. If there is a problem, we want to know what it is, and we want to know how to fix it. The trouble is that we are not all physicians and it can be hard for us to discern when a trip to the family doctor is needed. While we want our children to be in excellent health, we do not want to take trips to the doctor only to hear, "It's a viral infection. It will go away on its own within a few days." Going to the doctor every time your child's temperature is elevated results in needless waiting room time, and the exposure of your child to more germs, not to mention the subsequent doctor's bills. Here are a few guidelines for how to determine whether or not your little one needs to see a physician:

1. He has had a temperature of 102 degrees or more for more than three days. Why more than three days? Viral infections take 3-5 days to run their course. Countless times I have taken one of my children to the doctor on day 3 of a fever, only to be sent home and have the fever subside on the next day.

2. Your child has a dramatic climb in body temperature. High temperatures bring a risk of seizures when the temperature rises quickly. For instance, if your child climbs from 99 degrees to 104 degrees over a period of four to six hours, there is little risk of your child's health being damaged. However, if the temperature rises five degrees in an hour, there is cause for concern. In this case, your child should see a physician immediately.

3. Your child has a rash that is painful, warm to the touch, bright red, or quickly spreading. These could be signs of a serious allergic reaction and you should not delay taking your child to receive medical attention if he is exhibiting these symptoms. However, if your child's rash is not raised, covers a small portion of the body, is not bothersome to your child, and your child has no other symptoms, there is probably no cause for concern. It is likely a minor skin irritation or heat rash.

4. Coughs or congestion that hinder regular, easy breathing. A cough that wakes your child up at night is pretty normal. The concern comes when he has trouble coughing up phlegm or getting adequate breath. If this is the case, you and your child should head to urgent care.

5. Pulling on ears repeatedly, possibly accompanied by a fever or irritability. These are the tell-tale signs of an ear infection. Most parents want to put their child on antibiotics when they have an ear infection to clear it up quickly and completely.

A note about fever reducers: Most parents find that a medication such as Infant Tylenol works fine for bringing down their child's temperature. I have found that sometimes, however, this does not keep my child's temperature down for more than an hour or so. My doctor recommended Children's IB Pro-fen, instead, for fever reduction. If you like, you can alternate doses of Tylenol and IB Pro-fen until the virus has run its course.

If you have questions, call your doctor or nurse information line. If you are unsure of whether or not your child needs medical attention, don't delay in getting the answers you need. It is your responsibility to safeguard your child's health. However, by understanding a few things about the nature of illnesses and viral infections, you can made informed, educated decisions and avoid needless trips to theclinic