Treat at home, Call 111 or Visit A&E
What to do if your child has a cough, cold or virus
Coughs, colds, or viruses are common among young children and may result in your child experiencing breathing difficulties. Although it can take 2-3 weeks for children to get better, these illnesses can often be treated at home.
Treat at home with help from your community pharmacist
Treat children at home if they are:
-
Taking in more than half of normal feeds, and -
Making wet nappies, or -
Their high temperature lasts less than 5 days.
Your community pharmacist can give you advice on a range of conditions and suggest medicines that can help.
They may also be able to offer treatment and some prescription medicine for some conditions, without you needing to see a doctor (this is called Pharmacy First).
Call 111
If symptoms get worse, then it’s time to ask for help. Call 111 as your first point of contact, if your child is:
-
Taking in less than half of normal feeds, or -
Their temperature is higher than 38 ˚C and lasts more than 5 days.
Visit A&E
The Emergency Department is for life-threatening symptoms. Call 999 or go to Accident & Emergency when your child has:
- Long pauses between breathing, or
- Severe difficulties or is gasping for breath, or
- Their tongue or lips go blue, or grey or white on brown or black skin.
If you haven’t already, don’t forget to download and save our Children’s Health Matters guide. It is packed with essential information, it’s your go-to resource for keeping your family healthy this winter and beyond.