Beware of 5 symptoms of a sick baby that actually indicate a serious illness & bull; hello healthy

Babies cannot clearly communicate what they are feeling. That's why it's not surprising that many parents get confused when their child is sick - "This is actually a common fever that can be given to take medicine from a pharmacy, or must be taken to a doctor immediately?" It is important to recognize which symptoms of a sick baby to watch out for so that parents can immediately decide when to seek treatment. Being late in recognizing the symptoms of a serious illness can be fatal.

Here's how to distinguish which symptoms of a mild sick baby and which are dangerous and need to be watched out for.

What are the symptoms of a sick baby that parents need to be aware of?

If your sick baby displays one or more of the following symptoms, don't panic yet. Parents must remain and level-headed in dealing with their sick children. It is better to always consult with the doctor about your child's condition.

1. High fever

When you see a baby with fever, your parents will instinctively want to take her to the doctor immediately. In fact, it is not always necessary. Fever is actually a form of natural self-defense, indicating that the body is fighting an infection. That is, immune function is running normally.

But be aware if the body temperature of a baby with a fever reaches 38 ° C, especially for babies under three months of age. Meanwhile, babies aged 3-6 months need to be taken to the hospital if the temperature is more than 39 degrees. Also, be careful when the baby has a fever that fluctuates too often. This may be a sign that he has a bacterial or viral infection that is quite dangerous, such as pneumonia, urinary tract infection, ear infection, or meningitis.

When you use a thermometer, make sure the thermometer is attached to the baby's bottom. If you put it under the armpits, make sure to add half a degree Celsius to make it more accurate. Babies need to be taken to the doctor if the temperature continues to be high for more than five days or other serious signs appear. You also need to immediately take to the doctor if the body is hot but the feet and hands are cold.

For babies over 6 months of age, take them to the doctor immediately if the fever does not go down after you give paracetamol or ibuprofen. For the record, these two drugs should not be given unless the temperature is above 38.3 degrees Celsius.

2. Shortness of breath; difficulty breathing

If the baby is sick and is experiencing shortness of breath, there could be an infection in his lungs or blocked airways. A baby who is short of breath can be characterized by a chest, stomach or neck that looks sunken in, because he is trying to take a deep breath. Listen, is the breath wheezing? Look, if there is a blue color around the mouth or lips. If there is, take it to the hospital immediately.

3. Vomiting

Vomiting in babies is a fairly common condition. Newborn babies will often vomit in the first weeks because they are still getting used to the food that comes in. Excessive crying and coughing can also trigger the gag reflex. Your child may also vomit from being full. Vomiting is still facial if not followed by fever and there is no blood or green bile in the vomit. If even after the child vomits he is not fussy, can still play, and still wants to eat, you don't need to worry.

However, if the vomit is green then you have to be vigilant. This may indicate a blockage in his intestines. In addition, also pay attention to whether the child suddenly feels weak and unresponsive after vomiting; pale and cold skin or not; whether the child still wants to eat or refuses to eat it; is the stomach swollen; whether he vomited more than three times in 24 hours or lasted more than three days and was accompanied by fever.

Immediately go to the doctor if one or two of the symptoms of the sick baby appear above. Also if the baby is vomiting temporarily showing symptoms of dehydration, such as dry mouth, crying bellowing but not shedding tears, and urinating less frequently.

3. Crying constantly

Continuous crying can be a sign of colic or tantrums. But if the crying continues and you no longer cry, you must be vigilant. Crying without tears followed by dry mouth and not peeing, it could be that your child is severely dehydrated.

4. Convulsions

Seizures in babies are generally different from what is often experienced by adults. Seizures in infants are usually preceded or accompanied by fever, so they are called febrile seizures (step). Febrile seizures are common in about 2-4% of children aged 6 months to 5 years. Symptoms that arise during a febrile seizure include muscle stiffness, slumping all over the body, blinking empty eyes, or not responding to when his name is called.

The cause of febrile seizures is a high fever due to inflammation or infection. There are children who have seizures when the body temperature is 38 degrees C, but there are children who have seizures when the temperature is above 40 degrees C. It is suspected that genetic factors also play a role in the incidence of febrile seizures, especially if there is a family history of epilepsy.

To treat a child with seizures, do not put anything in the mouth. Don't force her to open her mouth either. Don't drink coffee. Do not force your child's feet or hands during the seizure, as this can cause fractures.

Take it to the doctor as soon as possible to find out what causes it. Take the child's temperature at the time of the seizure, observe how long the seizure is and what happens during the seizure, because this information is very useful for your pediatrician.

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