Children's Health: When to Worry & When to Relax
A parent's guide to common childhood illnesses — knowing when your child needs a doctor and when home care is enough.
Fever in Children — What Parents Need to Know
Fever is the number one reason parents seek medical advice for their children, and it's understandably worrying. A fever is a temperature of 38°C or above. Importantly: fever itself is not dangerous — it's your child's immune system working. The height of the fever does NOT indicate how serious the illness is. A child with 40°C from a cold can be fine, while a child with 38°C from meningitis can be critically ill. What matters is how your child looks and behaves. Give paracetamol or ibuprofen only if your child is distressed or uncomfortable — not simply to bring the number down. Check the packaging for the right dose for their age and weight. Do not give paracetamol to a baby under 2 months. Do not give ibuprofen to a child who is under 3 months, weighs under 5kg, has chickenpox, or is dehydrated — and not to a child with asthma unless a doctor has recommended it. Never give aspirin to anyone under 16. Don't alternate between the two unless advised by a doctor. Don't over-bundle them — dress in one layer. Offer frequent small sips of fluid. Tepid sponging is no longer recommended. Check on them regularly overnight if they have a fever.
Common Childhood Illnesses — Home Care Guide
Children get ill frequently — it's a normal part of developing immunity. Common cold — children get colds frequently, more still in nursery/school. Treatment: fluids, rest, saline nasal drops, and children's paracetamol. Antibiotics won't help. Croup — a barking, seal-like cough with a harsh noise when breathing in. Call NHS 111 or ask for an urgent GP appointment for any child you think has croup, even a mild one — a doctor can give medicine that shortens the illness. While you wait, sit them upright, comfort them and keep them calm (crying makes it worse), and give plenty of fluids. Do not put them in a steamy room or get them to inhale steam. Call 999 if they are struggling to breathe, look blue, grey, pale or blotchy, are sleepier than normal or hard to wake, are limp or floppy, or are drooling and finding it hard to swallow. Ear infections — very common in children. Give paracetamol and hold a warm cloth against the ear. Most resolve without antibiotics within 3 days. Hand, foot and mouth disease — blisters on hands, feet, and in mouth. Contagious but usually mild. Treat with soft foods, cold drinks, and pain relief. Chickenpox — itchy blistered rash. Keep nails short, use calamine lotion, and give paracetamol (never ibuprofen or aspirin with chickenpox). Keep them home until all blisters have crusted over.
Warning Signs — When to Seek Help Immediately
Trust your parental instinct — if something feels wrong, seek help. Call 999 for: a rash that does not fade when you press a glass against it; a stiff neck; being bothered by light; unusually cold hands and feet; skin, lips or tongue that is blue, grey, paler than usual or blotchy (on brown or black skin this is easiest to see on the palms and soles); difficulty breathing (grunting noises, the tummy sucking in under the ribcage, breathing very fast); a fit or seizure for the first time; being drowsy and hard to wake, or unusually floppy; being extremely agitated, unable to stop crying, or confused; a bulging fontanelle (soft spot) in babies; and not responding like they normally do or not interested in feeding or normal activities. Call 111 for: a baby under 3 months with a temperature of 38°C or higher; a baby 3 to 6 months old with a temperature of 39°C or higher; a high temperature that has lasted 5 days or more; other signs of illness such as a rash alongside a high temperature; your child not wanting to eat, or not being their usual self and you're worried; being sick and unable to keep fluids down; and signs of dehydration — nappies that are not very wet, sunken eyes, and no tears when crying. You know your child best.
When to Relax — Normal Things Parents Worry About
Many things that worry parents are actually completely normal. Frequent colds — several a year is normal, especially in nursery years. This is your child building their immune system. Green snot — doesn't mean a bacterial infection or the need for antibiotics. Yellow and green mucus simply shows the immune system is working. Night waking — waking in the night is common in babies and young children, and how quickly a child settles into sleeping through varies a lot. Your health visitor can help if it is wearing you down. Growing pains — aching legs in the evening or night, which the NHS says are common in children aged 3 to 12. They ache in both legs and are gone by morning; treat with massage and paracetamol. See a GP instead if the pain is in one leg or one joint, happens in the morning or on walking, makes your child limp or stops them walking, comes with a rash, swelling, unusual bruising or a high temperature, or if they are unusually tired or losing weight — those are not growing pains. Not eating much — toddlers are notoriously fussy. As long as they're growing along their centile line and eating from a variety of groups over the week (not necessarily each day), they're likely fine. Your Health Visitor is an excellent resource for children under 5. They can advise on feeding, sleep, development, and behaviour and can be contacted directly without a GP referral.
- children
- parenting
- paediatrics
- fever in children
Sources and further reading
This page was written from the following published guidance. All links checked 26 August 2026.