Parent emergency library
What should I do right now?
Clear first steps for the moments every parent fears - each guide answers four things immediately: how serious is this, what you can do at home right now, what you should NOT do, and when to go to the emergency room. Written to be used at 2 a.m.
🔴 Is this an emergency? 12 signs
The one page to bookmark: twelve signs in a child that mean get help now, and what to do while you wait.
My child has a fever
When is it an emergency? The under-3-months rule, red-flag rashes, seizures and dehydration.
My child is struggling to breathe
How to recognise real breathing trouble: rate, retractions, grunting, stridor, blue lips.
My child is choking
When to let them cough, when to act - and the exact first-aid steps for babies and children.
My child swallowed something
Button batteries, magnets, coins, sharp objects, water beads - which ones mean the ER now.
My child may have swallowed a medicine, chemical or poison
Do not wait for symptoms, do not make them vomit - call the poison centre: 1800-116-117.
My child had a seizure
What to do in the first five minutes - positioning, timing, and when to call 108.
My child fell and hit their head
Which bumps you can watch at home - and the danger signs that mean the ER now.
My child is vomiting
Green vomit, blood, projectile vomiting in a young baby - when it is dangerous.
My child has diarrhoea
How to spot dehydration, give ORS, and when a hospital drip is needed.
My child has severe abdominal pain
Appendicitis, intussusception, testicular torsion - the patterns that mean the ER.
My child suddenly developed an allergic reaction
Allergy or anaphylaxis? When to use the epinephrine auto-injector and call 108.
My child was bitten or scratched by a dog, cat or monkey
The 15-minute wash, rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin - never wait for symptoms.
A snake bit my child
Keep them still, immobilize the limb, get to a hospital with anti-snake venom.
My child has a burn or scald
Cool running water first - never ice or toothpaste; the burns that always need the ER.
My child touched a socket or wire and got an electric shock
Switch off the power before you touch them; every real shock needs a same-day check.
My child was pulled from the water
Start CPR with rescue breaths immediately - and why every rescue needs a hospital check.
My child's nose is bleeding
Lean forward, pinch the soft part for a full 10 minutes - and when to call.
My child has a cut that is bleeding a lot
Firm pressure without peeking; when a cut needs stitches; when to call 108.
Something went into my child's eye
Rinse, never rub - and the chemical and high-speed injuries that mean go now.
My child put something in their nose or ear
Never poke; the one gentle blow to try; why a battery or magnet means the ER now.
My child suddenly won't walk
A child who refuses to walk or use an arm is telling you it hurts - what to check first.
My child is suddenly very drowsy, confused, or not making sense
A child you cannot fully wake is an emergency - the signs and what to do.
My child has a rash
The purple-spot glass test: which rashes with fever are life-threatening.
My child's lips or face look blue
Blue lips or face means call 108 now - what to do while help comes.
My newborn is refusing feeds or feeding poorly
Feeding is a newborn’s vital sign - when poor feeding is an emergency.
My newborn's skin and eyes look yellow
What is normal, the first-24-hours rule, and the sleepy-feeder warning.
My baby is under 3 months and has a fever
38°C or more means see a doctor today - and no fever medicine first.
My baby chokes, coughs or gags during feeds
The normal sputter vs the blue-or-limp emergency - what to do in the moment.
My baby fell off the bed
Most bed falls are fright, not injury - the exact danger signs to watch 48 hours.
My child has a severe headache
Stiff neck, worst-ever pain, repeated vomiting - the headaches that mean the ER.
My child fainted
The common harmless faint vs the exercise and heart red flags.
My child has chest pain or a racing heartbeat
Rarely the heart in children - and the specific patterns that need urgent checks.
My child is burning up after being out in the heat
Cool first, fast - the 39.5°C confusion-and-hot-dry-skin emergency.
My child is shaky, sweaty and not making sense
Give sugar first, recheck in 15 - plus the diabetic emergency signs every parent should know.
My child is on chemotherapy or has low immunity
On chemotherapy, any fever is a call-the-team emergency - day or night.
These guides are first-aid education for parents and do not replace examination by a doctor. Every guide is based only on guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP), with sources listed at the end of each article, and published under the editorial approval of Dr Anjana Alekhya, MD (Paediatrics). In an emergency, call 108 or 112.
The library now covers 36 of the emergencies parents most often face - all guides in one place, searchable above.