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Advice for parents

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If you feel that your child is unwell, or you are unable to care for them, seek medical help. This could be your local pharmacist, NHS111, GP, an urgent treatment centre (UTC) or A&E.

GREEN – CARE AT HOME

AppearanceBreathing/ChestHydrationTemperature
– Normal skin, lips and tongue colour
– Responding normally/still smiling
– Stays awake or wakes up easily
– Normal cry or strong cry
– Mild pain e.g. earache, tummy ache		– Breathing normally with no wheeze
– Mild cough or runny nose without affecting breathing		– Baby feeding/child drinking as normal or slightly reduced
– Sick, but drinking and keeping most fluids down Diarrhoea for less than 2 days
– Passing urine, normal colour or slightly darker than usual		– Mild temperature raised up to 38ºC (101ºF) but controlled if paracetamol is given.
– Seek advice if temperature continues for 3-5 days
  • Your local pharmacist or NHS111 can give advice
  • Check www.nhs.uk
  • Consider paracetamol
  • Encourage rest and drinks, even if only in small amounts

AMBER – GP/NHS111

AppearanceBreathing/ChestHydrationTemperature
– Child becoming worse/parents more concerned
– Less activity/more sleepy than usual
– Change in normal behaviour/ not acting in usual manner
– Irritable/no smilePain e.g. persistent severe earache, severe tummy ache – seek advice
– Mild/moderate allergic reaction – seek advice		Noisy breathing/ wheezy/fast breathing/ nasal ‘flaring’– Drinking less than half of usual amounts/vomiting most feeds
– Fewer wet nappies than usual/less urine or darker concentrated urine
– For babies under 1 year – sick more than 3 times in 24 hours, diarrhoea 6 times in 24 hours
– For children 1 and over – diarrhoea for longer than 2 days		– Over 3 months – temperature over 39ºC (102ºF)
– Persistent temperature for more than 3-5 days or not controlled by paracetamol – seek advice
  • Phone your GP for advice and decision – this may be by telephone/video or face to face
  • Call GP/NHS111 if concerned
  • If worried, always seek advice

RED – URGENT HELP REQUIRED

AppearanceBreathing/ChestHydrationTemperature
-Collapse/unresponsive – Hard to wake/floppy or listless
– Mottled blue or ashen skin
– Fitting (seizure) without a temperature
– Severe allergic reaction/ anaphylaxis
– Rash that does NOT disappear under pressure (glass test)
– Neck stiffness
– High pitched, weak or continuous cry
– Bile stained sick (green)
– Bulging fontanelle (soft spot)		– Severe difficulty in breathing – Grunting/very fast breathing/ sucking in and out between ribs – Breathless – unable to talk in sentences– Sunken fontanelle (soft spot)
– Very little urine/dry nappies		– 0-3 months – temperature over 38ºC (101ºF)
– Over 3 months – temperature over 39ºC (102ºF) and/or cold hands or feet
– Any child with a temperature below 36ºC (97ºF)
– Any child with a high temperature and fitting (seizure)
  • Take your child to your nearest A&E department
  • CALL 999 FOR BREATHING DIFFICULTIES OR A NON-BLANCHING RASH (rash that does not fade and lose colour under pressure – glass test)/COLLAPSE
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