When to call the doctor

Call the Red Cross on 140 or go straight to the emergency room if your child:

• struggles to breathe, grunts, breathes very fast, or the skin sucks in under the ribs
• turns blue or grey around the lips, or the skin looks mottled or very pale
• has spots that stay visible through the side of a glass pressed on the skin
• has a stiff neck or is bothered by light
• has a first seizure, or a seizure that lasts more than 5 minutes
• is very hard to wake, floppy, or not responding normally
• has a high-pitched cry, or cries and cannot be calmed
• cannot swallow fluids or saliva
• has cold skin and is much sleepier than usual
• has a bulging soft spot on the top of the head
• is under 3 months and has a temperature of 38 °C or higher

For a baby in the first weeks of life, also read our guide to danger signs in newborns.

If your child struggles to breathe, turns blue or grey, or is hard to wake, call 140 now. Do not wait to reach the doctor first.

If your child is having a seizure or does not respond, call 140. Do not drive yourself.

Some serious infections cause a rash of small red or purple spots. Press the side of a clear glass firmly on the rash. If the spots fade under the glass, they are less likely to be serious. If you can still see them through the glass, it is an emergency. Call 140 or go to the emergency room.

Call the doctor the same day if your child:

• is 3 to 6 months old with a temperature of 39 °C or higher
• has had a fever for 5 days or more
• has a fever with a rash that fades under a glass
• is still uncomfortable after 24 hours of fever medicine
• shows signs of dehydration: fewer wet diapers, dark urine, a dry mouth, no tears, sunken eyes, or a sunken soft spot
• does not want to eat or drink, or is not acting like themselves
• has an earache that is not better after 3 days
• has a sore throat that lasts more than 3 days
• has a cough with a high temperature and shivers

These can wait for a planned visit, as long as your child eats, plays and sleeps fairly well:

• a cold with a runny nose and mild cough
• a cough that lasts more than 3 weeks in a child who is otherwise well
• a diaper rash that does not clear with home care
• a missed vaccine
• questions about feeding, sleep, growth or behaviour

Write your questions down and bring them. If a sign gets worse before the visit, call.

Have these ready. They help the doctor decide quickly.

• your child’s age and weight
• the temperature, and how you measured it
• the medicines you gave, the dose and the time
• how many wet diapers in the last 24 hours
• when the problem started and what has changed