It’s completely normal to be worried about your child’s health problems. After all, you love them and want the best for them. But what should you do if you find yourself in this position? What action should you take? This issue comes up more than you might think. Many parents go into meltdown when something goes wrong with their child’s health, no matter how minor it might seem on the surface. Fortunately, we’ve written this guide to help. It runs through some of the tactics you can use to be your best to help your kiddo:
Trust Your Gut:
One of the best things you can do as a parent in this position is trust your gut. Accepting what’s happening and then trying to get to a solution is essential. Usually, you’ll know if something is seriously wrong or not. What’s more, as a parent, you know your child. You understand what’s normal behavior for them, and what isn’t, so your senses are attuned to theirs.
Track Their Symptoms:
It’s a good idea to track their symptoms. You want to know how they’re evolving over time. If you can figure out when it started and then measure the severity, you’re often in a good position to know how long it will take them to recover and what’s wrong. Tracking symptoms is also going to be so helpful when you take your child to the doctor so they will have a full history of the problem.
Check For Red Flags:
Red flag situations are when it is essential to take action. For example, things like a high fever or persistent vomiting: these are signs that something might be seriously wrong. You might also notice things like not responding to sound. Perhaps they need to go to the audiologist for grommets or hearing aids. Seizures and extreme lethargy or not waking properly are all red flag signs too. Get help immediately.
Call the Pediatrician:
If you encounter something you haven’t seen before or symptoms seem worse than usual, getting on the phone with the pediatrician is a good idea. They can provide advice on what to do next, including whether or not to go to hospital.
Provide Comfort:
Sometimes, just providing your child with some comfort can have a profound effect on their well-being. Their bodies are highly tuned to their surroundings. Even skin-on-skin contact, which seems quite simple, can have a huge effect. You can also do things like bring them their comfort items or put them in a room that feels safe to them. These small changes may improve their health.
Ask “Dumb” Questions:
Lastly, if you do go to the doctor with them, don’t be afraid to ask dumb questions. The more of these you pose, the more likely you are to understand what’s happening in the future if something similar happens again. Every question you have is worth asking and your child’s appointment is the time to do so.
Any health concern for your child can be scary. Keep a level head, find a solution with the doctor, and do your best to accommodate!
Featured Image By: Unsplash
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