Know Where to Go for Sick Kids: Pediatrician or Emergency Center
April 18, 2024
As a parent, you may be able to tell when your child isn’t feeling well, but identifying the exact symptoms can be tough since young children don’t always know how to express their discomfort in words.
During the first signs of your child feeling sick, it’s important to start taking note of their symptoms and behaviors so you can track their progress. Listening to their complaints and reading between the lines can help determine the severity of their illness.
Our guide below shares common symptoms that may call for a pediatrician’s office visit, as well as more worrisome symptoms that could need a higher level of care, like an Urgent Care or Emergency Center.
Common Symptoms Kids Face
Sometimes it feels like young children are always sick, but it’s normal for kids in day care or school to be sick six to eight times per year. Many symptoms can be alleviated by rest, hydration and other over-the-counter medications. Some symptoms, however, may need a doctor’s guidance or prescription medication.
Fever
Having a fever is not necessarily bad for children, as it could indicate your child is fighting off an infection or something minor. Your pediatrician should be called when:
- A child younger than 3 months has a rectal temperature of 100.4*F
- A child older than 3 months has a temperature over 102.2*F
- Your child has any other pre-existing health conditions or other symptoms alongside the fever
- The fever is persistent (more than 24 hours in kids under 2, and more than 72 hours in kids over 2)
Head to an Emergency Center if:
- Your child has a fever of over 104
- If your child experiences a febrile seizure
Coughing
Coughing often comes with a cold and may resolve on its own, but coughing can also indicate other illnesses.
Give your pediatrician a call if you child has:
- A “barky cough,” which may be croup, an infection of the upper airway
- A cough with wheezing (whistling sound) which could indicate asthma or bronchiolitis
- A persistent, daily cough for more than two weeks
- A cough combined with fast breathing
- Any cough and is under 3 months of age
Head to the Emergency Center or call 9-1-1 if:
- Your child has issues breathing
- The area around your child’s mouth turns a dusty blue color
- They have stopped breathing or are breathing irregularly as a newborn
- A child under 12 months of age is making a “whooping” sound with their cough
Eye Discharge
It’s normal for kids to have “eye boogers,” but if you notice your child’s eyes suddenly have more discharge than usual, or the color of the discharge changes to a greenish yellow, give your pediatrician a call.
Other eye discharge symptoms to consult your pediatrician about include:
- If the whites of their eyes are red or pinkish
- Their eyelids are puffy
- Their eyes itch or burn
- Are tender around the eye or have serious pain in the eye
- Blurred vision
Usually, eye discharge can be treated by a pediatrician, but if your child is in serious pain and your doctor can’t see you right away, take them to an Urgent Care or an Emergency Center to be seen quickly.
Rashes
Rashes can be common in children, especially following a virus.
Call your pediatrician if your child’s rash has any of the following characteristics:
- Is ‘non-blanching’ or does not fade when pressed with a clear glass
- Has dark purple or red blotches
- Prevents your child from daily activities or being able to sleep
- Causes your child pain
- Has not faded in 3 days
- Appears after eating something new or taking new medication
- Appears like bruising
- Is accompanied by a fever
Head to the Emergency Center or call 9-1-1 if:
- If your child appears to be having an allergic reaction (hives) and is wheezing, having trouble breathing or says their throat is “closing”
- If your child has severe neck or joint pain with a rash
- Rash is accompanied by difficulty breathing or swallowing
Intense Sudden or Ongoing Pain
Sudden and intense pain in the abdomen area or ongoing pain in other areas of their body can be a sign of something severe. Abdomen pain in the lower right side of your abdomen can be a symptom of appendicitis. If the abdomen is visibly swollen or tender when touched, your child may have a blockage or problem with their digestive system, which could lead to major complications if left untreated. These are all symptoms that need to be addressed quickly and may call for an Emergency Center visit.
Head Injury
It’s no secret that kids fall and bump their heads … a lot.
For those over the age of 2, the location of the bump will help you determine if you visit your pediatrician or not. The forehead is resilient so most bumps there aren’t a cause for concern. The area around the temples, behind the ears and around the cheekbones are more fragile though; if ice helps it go down, call your pediatrician and ask about monitoring it at home. If the bump grows or more bruising happens, call your pediatrician to be seen or visit your local Urgent Care.
Go to an Emergency Center or call 9-1-1 after a head injury if:
- Soft spot is bulging when baby is not crying
- Baby is crying uncontrollably
- Child begins vomiting
- Child goes unconscious, cannot stay alert or is not waking up
- Child has a seizure
- Child is having difficulty breathing
- Child can’t feel or move limbs
- Has bleeding that will not stop
Vomiting and/or Diarrhea
Vomiting and diarrhea are often caused by a virus, and children are very susceptible to vomiting bugs. While vomiting and diarrhea are uncomfortable for children and parents alike, most “stomach bugs” resolve in a few days. If your child does not have emergency symptoms, staying hydrated and following a bland diet is the best course of action for home care.
The primary concern with vomiting and diarrhea is dehydration. Seek immediate medical care if your child shows the following behaviors or symptoms from frequent vomiting or diarrhea:
- Newborn has less than 6 wet diapers in a day; child over 4 months has less than 3 (or pees less than 3 times in a day)
- In newborns – no tears when crying, hard or fast breathing, sunken in soft spot
- Vomiting and diarrhea accompanied by a high fever
- Blood in vomit
- Have severe stomach or back pain, a headache or stiff neck
- Vomiting following a head injury
- Does not get better in 24 hours
Tips for Speaking with Your Doctor
Many pediatric practices have a nurse who is on call after hours to answer your questions. If you’re not sure if your issue can wait until the next day, leave a message for your pediatrician’s after-hours nurse.
When calling your pediatrician’s office about any symptoms your child may have, remind them of your child’s medical history, their current symptoms, medications they’re currently taking and their temperature.
Trust your instincts and tell your pediatrician why you felt the need to call. By the end of the call, your doctor or nurse should advise you if an appointment is needed, if home treatment is best or if a trip to an Urgent Care or Emergency Center is necessary.
The Region’s Best Pediatric Care
In the event that your child needs hospital care, an outpatient procedure or a pediatric specialty doctor, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare has you covered. We are home to the region’s only Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and have an Emergency Center designed to cater to the unique needs of pediatric patients.
Remember, teaching your child good handwashing, proper cough and sneeze etiquette and keeping up to date with vaccines are all ways to help your family stay healthy.
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