Child health emergencies: when to rush to hospital

Knowing the danger signs can save precious time. This guide lists when to go to hospital and what to do on the way.

Go to the nearest hospital emergency department immediately if your child:

• Has difficulty breathing: very fast breathing, ribs pulling in, grunting, or blue lips.
• Is very drowsy, hard to wake, limp, or not responding normally.
• Has a seizure that lasts more than 5 minutes, repeated seizures, or a first seizure.
• Has swelling of the lips, face or tongue, or hives with breathing trouble after food, medicine or a sting.
• Has a head injury followed by vomiting, drowsiness, a seizure or unusual behaviour.
• Has swallowed tablets, kerosene, cleaning liquids or other poison.
• Is choking and cannot cry, cough or breathe.
• Has severe dehydration: no urine for 8 hours, sunken eyes, dry mouth, repeated vomiting or loose motions.
• Vomits green fluid or blood, or has severe, persistent abdominal pain.
• Has a stiff neck, a rash that does not fade when pressed, or a fever in a baby under 3 months.
• Has a deep cut, bleeding that does not stop, or a serious burn.

First aid while you get help

• Seizure: lay your child on their side on a safe surface, note the time, and do not put anything in the mouth or hold the child down.
• Burns: cool with clean running water for 20 minutes. Do not apply ice, toothpaste, butter or ointments.
• Poisoning: do not make your child vomit. Take the container or tablets with you to the hospital.
• Choking, infant: 5 back blows then 5 chest thrusts, repeated until the object comes out or help arrives.
• Choking, child over 1 year: firm upward abdominal thrusts from behind.
• Nosebleed: sit forward and pinch the soft part of the nose for 10 minutes.

Be prepared

• Keep emergency numbers handy: ambulance 108 and 112.
• Know the nearest hospital with a paediatric emergency department.
• Keep the vaccination card, a list of your child's medicines and allergies, and a recent weight record ready.
• Take a first-aid course that includes infant and child CPR.

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