Are you Equipped to Handle a Medical Emergency that Concerns your Baby?

Even if you take all the necessary precautions, your baby may face a medical crisis at some time or another. At times such as these, you should be able to recognize the extent of danger to your child. This will help you to know what to do to help your child.

The following are emergencies, when you should either take your child directly to an emergency facility, or call 911:

• If you suspect that your baby has been poisoned
• If your child sustains injuries to the head
• If there is an injury that does not stop bleeding
• In case of drowning
• If you suspect paralysis, or your child is not responsive
• If your child starts breathing abnormally or in a labored manner
• If your child appears to be choking
• If your child is suffering a seizure

These situations may require you to call a doctor:

• Very high fever—above 100.4° F (rectal) in case of babies under three months, or above 102° F (oral) in children above three months of age
• Changes in appetite
• Changes in mood
• Yellowness in the skin ( a sign of jaundice)
• Continuing diarrhea
• Repeated vomiting
• Dehydration
• Chronic constipation
• Symptoms of severe cold
• Unexplained rash on the body
• Discharge from the eyes
• Cuts, bruises, or burns