Childhood illnesses

About childhood illnesses

This information may help give you an idea about what the problem with your child might be. Don't use it to diagnose your child with a condition. Always leave that to a health professional. 

Almost all babies, toddlers and children will get the most common childhood illnesses like chickenpox, colds, sore throats and ear infections. Read more about these conditions and other childhood illnesses that include:

• Asthma
• Bronchiolitis
• Chickenpox
• Cold
• Cough
• Croup
• Diarrhoea and vomiting
• Fever in children
• Earache
• Kawasaki disease
• Measles
• Meningitis
• Mumps
• Roseola
• Rubella
• Skin rashes in babies
• Skin rashes in children
• Scarlet fever
• Sore throat
• Whooping cough
• Urinary tract infections in children

Looking after a sick child

Your health visitor, practice nurse, nurse practitioner, pharmacist or GP can all give you advice on how to treat your child's illness.

Your GP can treat your child and prescribe medicines. Some health visitors, nurses and pharmacists can also diagnose illness and recommend medicines for your child.

If your child is ill, you can try your local pharmacy first. They'll tell you if your child needs to see a GP. If your child has signs of serious illness, contact your GP directly or take them straight to the emergency department of your local hospital.

If the surgery is closed, contact GP out of hours services for advice.

Signs of serious illness in a baby or toddler

Here's a checklist of warning signs that might be serious:

Temperature

• a high temperature, but cold feet and hands
• a high temperature that doesn't come down with paracetamol or ibuprofen
• your child is quiet and listless, even when their temperature is down
• a high temperature in a baby less than 8 weeks old

Read more about how to take your child's temperature.

Find out how to treat a high temperature at home.

Breathing

• rapid breathing or panting
• a throaty noise while breathing
• your child is finding it hard to get their breath and is sucking their stomach in under their ribs

Other signs

• blue, pale, blotchy, or ashen (grey) skin
• your child is hard to wake up, or appears disorientated or confused 
• they're crying constantly and you can't console or distract them, or the cry doesn't sound like their normal cry
• green vomit
• your child has a fit (convulsion or seizure) for the first time
• your child is under 8 weeks old and doesn't want to feed 
• nappies that are drier than usual – this is a sign of dehydration

If your child has any of these signs, get medical help as soon as possible:

• during the day from Monday to Friday – it's best to call your GP practice
• evenings and weekends – call GP out of hours service
• if your baby is under 6 months old it's hard for a doctor or nurse to assess them over the phone – if you're very worried, take them to your nearest emergency department

When to call an ambulance

Call 999 for an ambulance if your child:

• stops breathing
• won't wake up
• has a spotty, purple-red rash anywhere on the body that doesn't fade when you press a glass against it – this could be a sign of blood poisoning (septicaemia)
• is under 8 weeks old and you're very worried about them
• has a fit for the first time, even if they seem to recover
• has a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)
• if you think someone may have seriously injured your baby

Trust your instincts. You know what's different or worrying behaviour in your child.

Spot the signs of childhood diseases

Learn the signs of serious diseases that can affect children:

• meningitis
• sepsis
• type 1 diabetes

More useful links

• How to use your health services
• Childhood immunisation
• Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)