Is this an emergency? 12 signs in a child that mean get help NOW

🔴 The 12 signs

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Trust your gut. You know your child better than anyone. If your child looks seriously unwell to you, treat it as an emergency even if nothing on this list fits exactly.

Call 108 for an ambulance, or 112 (the national emergency number). If you can get to a hospital faster and safely yourself, go - but for the signs below, do not wait to "see how it goes".

• Severe difficulty breathing. Struggling for each breath, ribs sucking in with every breath, grunting, unable to speak or cry, or breathing that is much faster than normal. Call 108 now.
• Blue, grey or very pale lips, tongue or face. This means the body is not getting enough oxygen. Call 108 now.
• Unresponsive or very hard to wake. Your child does not respond to you, is floppy, or cannot be woken properly. Call 108 now.
• A seizure (fit) lasting more than 5 minutes, or one seizure after another without the child waking up in between. Call 108 now.
• Bleeding you cannot stop with firm, direct pressure for 10 minutes. Go to the ER now; call 108 if bleeding is heavy or the child becomes drowsy.
• A severe allergic reaction. Swelling of the lips, tongue or face, sudden hoarse voice, trouble breathing, or sudden widespread hives with vomiting or faintness. Call 108 now.
• Signs of severe dehydration. No urine for 8-12 hours, no tears when crying, a very dry mouth, sunken eyes, and a child who is too weak or drowsy to drink. Go to the ER now.
• Swallowed poison, a button battery, or a magnet. Do not wait for symptoms. Go to the ER now. For poison advice, also call the National Poisons Information Centre (AIIMS): 1800-116-117 (toll-free, 24x7).
• A major injury. A fall from a height, a road accident, a deep wound, a broken bone, or any head injury followed by vomiting, confusion or drowsiness. Go to the ER now.
• Sudden weakness or strange behaviour. One-sided weakness, slurred speech, a sudden severe headache, a stiff neck with fever, or confusion that is new. Call 108 now.
• A serious burn. Any burn larger than your child's palm, any burn on the face, hands, feet or genitals, any burn that is white, charred or painless, or any electric or chemical burn. Cool it under cool running water for about five minutes (never use ice) and go to the ER.
• A young baby who looks seriously unwell. Any baby under 3 months with a fever of 38.0°C (100.4°F) or more, refusing feeds, unusually drowsy, or just "not right" - go to the ER now. Small babies can get very sick very fast.