Is Your Child Sick?

Pediatric HouseCalls Online

A guide for treating your child at home, calling your child's doctor or seeking immediate medical attention

by Dr. Barton Schmitt

• What should you do when your child falls and gets a bump on the head?
• Do you need to go to the emergency department now?
• Is the croupy cough that just started serious?

These are questions that all of us have. And frequently they arise in the evenings and weekend when your doctor's office is closed.

Pediatric HouseCalls Online is designed especially for these times. The topics help you make appropriate decisions on what level of medical care (if any) is needed and how to provide symptom relief for minor conditions at home.

You can select any of the 80 Pediatric Topics.

A Decision Chart (When to Call Your Doctor Chart) is provided for each topic. By using the decision chart and your common sense, you should be able to select one of the five following responses categories:

• Call 911 Now (you may need an ambulance)
• Call Your Doctor Now (night or day)
• Call Your Doctor Within 24 Hours (between 9 am and 4 pm)
• Call Your Doctor During Weekday Office Hours
• Parent Care at Home

If you think that you are having a medical emergency, call 911 or the number for the local emergency ambulance service NOW!

And when in doubt, call your doctor NOW or go to the closest emergency department.

Pediatric Health Topics 

Choose a part of the body to search for information on:

Baby
Chest/Abdomen
Digestive System/Genitals
Ear
Eye
Head
Limbs
Mouth
Nose
Skin

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Baby

Bottle Feeding Questions

Breastfeeding Questions

Crying Baby of Less Than 3 Months Old (Includes Colic)

Crying Child of Older Than 3 Months (Irritability, Fussiness)

Diaper Rash

How to Recognize Newborn Illnesses

Jaundiced Newborn

Newborn Appearance: Common Questions

Newborn Rashes and Birthmarks

Spitting Up (Reflux)

Teething

Umbilical Cord

Chest/Abdomen

Abdominal Pain

Asthma Attack

Chest Pain

Cough

Croup

Wheezing (Other Than Asthma)

Digestive System/Genitals

Blood in Stools

Constipation

Diarrhea

Genital Injury

Pain With Urination

Pinworms

Vaginal Itching or Irritation  

Vomiting

Ear

Ear Congestion

Ear Discharge

Ear Injury

Earache (Ear Pain)

Pulling At or Itchy Ears

Swimmer's Ear

Eye

Blocked Tear Duct

Eye Allergy

Eye Injury

Eye Pus or Drainage

Foreign Body in the Eye

Red Eye (Without Pus)

Head

Fever

Head Injury

Head Lice

Headache

How to Take the Temperature

Myths About Fevers

Limbs

Arm or Leg (Limb) Pain

Arm or Leg Injury

Finger or Toe Injury

Mouth

Drinking Fluids Decreased

Mouth Injury

Mouth Ulcers (Canker Sores)

Sore Throat

Strep Exposure

Thrush

Tooth Injury

Toothache

Nose

Colds

Hay Fever (Nose Allergies)

Nose Injury

Nosebleed

Sinus Pain and Congestion

Skin

Animal or Human Bite

Athlete's Foot

Bee or Yellow Jacket Sting

Burns

Chickenpox

Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease

Hives

Immunization Reactions

Impetigo (Infected Sores)

Infection Exposure Questions

Insect Bites

Lymph Nodes - Swollen

Poison Ivy, Oak or Sumac

Puncture Wound

Rashes: Localized and Cause Unkown

Rashes: Widespread and Cause Unkown

Ringworm

Skin Injury (Bruises, Cuts and Scrapes)

Spider Bite

Splinter or Sliver

Sunburn

Suture Questions

Tick Bite

Wound Infection