Children's health issues, illnesses and allergies

This NHS site Is your baby or toddler seriously ill provides advice on how to spot the signs of serious illness in your baby or toddler. 

Do not delay seeking help if you have any concerns.

Download the Baby Check app for free and watch this video from the Lullaby Trust. 

Visit Institute of Health Visiting: Top tips for parents

These include

• Wheeze and Breathing difficulties
• Fever/High temperature
• Rashes: when should you worry
• Diarrhoea and Vomiting (D&V)
• Head injury
• Coping with chicken pox
• Coping with Scarlet Fever
• Childhood immunisations 1: An introduction to childhood immunisations
• Childhood immunisations 2: Frequently Asked Questions

Your Health Visitor is a nurse who can offer you advice on your child’s health, working in partnership with your General Practitioner (GP).

If you are concerned about your child's health, contact your GP to discuss the symptoms, or contact 111 for further advice.

It can be difficult to tell when a baby, toddler or child is seriously ill, but the main thing is to trust your instincts. You know better than anyone else what your child is usually like, so you'll know when something is seriously wrong. If your child requires urgent attention, call 999.

Useful websites with information about illnesses and symptoms:

• NHS: Is your baby or toddler seriously ill?
• NHS: Infectious illnesses in children
• NHS: Spotting signs of a serious illness
• NHS: Sepsis symptoms
• NHS: Meningitis symptoms
• Healthier Together - Parent Information sheets
• Lullaby Trust: spotting infections in babies

An allergy is where your body reacts to something that's normally harmless like pollen, dust or animal fur. The symptoms can be mild, but for some people they can be very serious. For more information, including advice and when to seek help visit Allergies - NHS (www.nhs.uk).

Glue ear is one of the most common childhood conditions in children aged 2-6 and is where the middle part of the ear canal fills up with fluid. This can cause temporary hearing loss and usually clears up within 3 months. Other symptoms of glue ear may be earache, ringing sounds or problems with balance. If glue ear lasts a long time it can affect a child's speech development and progress at school. 

If you notice that your child is experiencing any hearing difficulties you should see a GP who will be able to advise further and consider if further specialist treatment is required. This NHS Glue Ear webpage provides further information about glue ear and details of treatment that your GP may recommend. 

Get the Hear Glue Ear app which is a valuable tool to help families manage their child's glue ear at home. 

Since January 2022 there has been an increase in the number of children with acute hepatitis (liver inflammation). For further information about this click on the link below:

This video from the UK Health Security Agency provides advice about symptoms of hepatitis in children. 

Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal chord. It can affect anyone but is most common in babies, young children, teenagers and young adults. 

It can cause life-threatening sepsis and result in permanent damage to the brain or nerves. 

There are a number of vaccinations than offer some protection against meningitis. 

This NHS Meningitis webpage provides more information, including details of symptoms, vaccinations and other treatments. 

Find out the signs and symptoms of meningitis in babies and toddlers on this webpage from Meningitis Now. 

Find out about scarlet fever, including the symptoms, what to do if you or your child has it, how it's treated. how long it lasts and how it spreads, by clicking on this link for the NHS webpage: Scarlet Fever

Further guidance about Scarlet Fever can also be found on this GOV.UK webpage: Scarlet Fever: symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

Sepsis is a life threatening condition that arises when the body's response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs with the immune system going into overdrive. 

This NHS Sepsis webpage provides information about Sepsis, including any symptoms to look out for and what action to take. 

The UK Sepsis Trust provides further information about Sepsis. 

This NHS webpage regarding Strep A provides useful information and advice including what the symptoms are, when to get medical help and how mild and severe Step A infections are treated.

Babies and young children can become ill in hot weather which can be caused by dehydration, heat exhaustion or sunburn. This NHS website provides tips and advice to Keep your baby safe in the sun

You can also find additional advice around your child's health below:

Healthier Together - Safety Netting and Parent information Sheets

The Lullaby Trust - Baby Check: Is Your Baby Really Ill

Whooping Cough is an infection of the lungs and breathing tubes. It is contagious and can be serious. It is important for babies, children and anyone who is pregnant to get vaccinated against it. 

This NHS Whooping Cough webpage provides information about how to check if your child has Whooping Cough and what action to take. 

This GOV.UK Whooping cough vaccination in pregnancy guide webpage provides information about what you can do to protect your expectant baby from Whooping Cough.