When Should You Take Your Child to Emergency?
As a parent, knowing when a child's symptom is an emergency versus something that can wait for a morning appointment could save their life. Here's what our paediatric team advises.
Every parent has faced that moment at midnight: your child has a fever, they are crying, and you are trying to decide whether to rush to hospital or wait until morning. Making the wrong call in either direction has real consequences — unnecessary emergency visits can expose children to other infections, while waiting too long with a true emergency can be life-threatening.
Our paediatric team has compiled this guide based on the most common presentations we see at Promise Medical Centre.
Go to Emergency Immediately
- Difficulty breathing: flared nostrils, ribs visibly pulling in with each breath, or blue/grey lips
- High fever in a baby under 3 months old: any temperature above 38°C in a newborn is an emergency
- Seizures or convulsions, especially if it is the child's first or if it lasts more than 5 minutes
- Unresponsive, cannot be woken up, or unusually floppy
- Severe dehydration: no tears when crying, dry mouth, no urine in over 8 hours, sunken eyes
- A bulging fontanelle (soft spot on a baby's head)
- A rash of small red or purple spots that do not fade when pressed (possible meningitis)
- Head injury with loss of consciousness, repeated vomiting, or confusion
- Swallowed a foreign object (coin, battery, pin) — batteries are especially dangerous
- Sudden severe allergic reaction: swelling of lips or tongue, difficulty swallowing
Can Usually Wait for a Morning Appointment
- A fever above 38°C in a child over 3 months who is alert, drinking fluids, and responsive
- Mild to moderate cold or cough without breathing difficulty
- Vomiting once or twice without signs of dehydration
- Minor cuts that have stopped bleeding
- Earache without high fever
- A rash that is not spreading rapidly and the child is otherwise well
Fever: The Most Common Dilemma
Fever itself is not dangerous in children over 3 months — it is the body's immune response. What matters is how the child looks and behaves. A child with 39°C who is playing and drinking is far less concerning than a child with 38.5°C who is limp and refusing all fluids.
For fever management: keep the child hydrated, remove excess clothing, and give paracetamol at the correct weight-based dose. Never give aspirin to children.
Our Promise
Our emergency unit at Promise Medical Centre operates 24 hours a day. If you are ever in doubt, call us — our team will help you decide whether your child needs to come in immediately. Never feel embarrassed about seeking advice. When it comes to children, caution is always the right instinct.