Never know when to get medical help for my children!

[lalya23]

I always never know when to get them medical treatment for viruses or flu etc, my 2 year old is poorly atm (coughing, has conjunctivitis) but also I think her breathing is faster than usual, but unsure what is classed as fast! She hasn't been herself today at all, just laying down constantly.

If you have any doubt, bring her to the doctor.

It can be hard to know, but if in doubt get help.
Can you set a timer for 1 minute, and count how many breaths she takes in that time. It shouldn't be more than 40 ideally.

@Lazylegolady 40 exactly

I’m a parent to 2 teens and a 20-year old. Over the years I’ve learnt:

1. Trust your gut if something doesn’t seem right

2. Anything to do with breathing, breathlessness, struggling etc, seek help immediately. 2 is young - if you feel DC is “breathing faster” this could deteriorate.

This is different to things like a high fever, which you can monitor, responds to medication, cold flannels etc, but breathing issues are different and more immediate.

HTH

I think with very young children, there's an element of needing to err on the side of caution because they can't tell yo property what's going on.

So a child who is generally very unwell, lethargic and breathing heavily is one I would want to see a doctor.

I usually say trust your instincts, but if you're unsure, get her checked. It's always better to be safe than sorry.

When ds was 6 months old, an A&E doctor told me that no good medic would ever judge a parent worried about their child's health.

I took my 7yo to GP recently expecting to be told it's a viral infection & nothing can do.

Actually they gave her antibiotics and were very clear that if they're getting worse not better over 5-7 days it's always best to go in.

2yo is so tiny, definitely get checked out this week - and you don't want to risk a Xmas OOO visit!

Don't ever think twice, trust your gut. I have a 7 year old who went through a little bit when he was younger. I was rarely treated with anything but compassion whilst anxiously and repeatedly calling 101 or the same day team! And the ones that may suggest your being over protective, generally shut up when you remind them you are just doing your job!