Information from common childhood illnesses, health promotion and family wellbeing, through to serious illnesses – what to look for and expect, how to manage, and when to seek help.
Half of all children in the UK have allergies. For parents it is a learning curve in understanding what to avoid and how to control and manage the allergy. Find out as much as you can. There are many types of allergies.
An allergy is when the body has a reaction to foods, insect stings, pollens, house dust mite or other substance such as antibiotics. There are many common allergies. Some families seem to include more individuals with allergies than other families. Children born into families where allergies already exist show a higher than average chance of developing allergies themselves.
Allergic symptoms can affect the nose, throat, ears, eyes, airways, digestion and skin in mild, moderate or severe form. When a child first shows signs of an allergy it is not always clear what has caused the symptoms, or even if they have had an allergic reaction, since some allergic symptoms can be similar to other common childhood illnesses. Urticaria, also known as hives, can be one of the first symptoms of an allergic reaction. If the reaction is severe, or if the symptoms continue to re-occur, it is important that you contact your GP
Find more useful information here: nhs.uk/Conditions/Allergies
Cow’s Milk Allergy (also known as Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy or CMPA) is one of the most common food allergies to affect babies and young children in the United Kingdom. It is estimated to affect between 2 and 7.5% of babies under one.
Cow’s milk allergy is an abnormal response by the body’s immune (defence) system in which proteins in a food (in this case cow’s milk) are recognised as being harmful.
Whilst CMPA mostly affects formula fed babies, breast fed babies can also be affected too. Allergic symptoms to CMPA can happen immediately after feeding (IgE mediated) or they can be delayed (non IgE mediated).
Allergy UK – Cow’s Milk Allergy
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) – Food allergy in under 19s
The NHS website – Food allergies in babies
The NHS website – Reflux in babies
The NHS website – What should I do if I think my baby is allergic to cow’s milk?
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On this page you will find information about dealing with minor ailments such as a high temperature, coughs and colds, headaches, head lice and gastroenteritis. For information on infectious childhood illnesses click here.
Community pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are qualified healthcare professionals, and are the right people to see if you need clinical advice, reassurance, over the counter medicines and even a private consultation room, should it be requested, to help safely manage a range of minor health concerns. Local pharmacy teams offer fast and convenient clinical support with no appointment needed.
Useful information on common childhood illnesses, wellbeing, and further information.
A parents guide to common childhood illness and wellbeing – 5 – 11 years olds
Caused by viruses, colds can’t be cured by antibiotics. But you can help relieve the symptoms and support your body as it fights the virus. Sore throats can be caused by both viruses and bacteria but are not usually serious. Dry coughs are caused by inflammation in the throat while chesty coughs are the result of phlegm being produced by the lungs. Mucus cough occurs when the phlegm is extra thick and needs thinning before the coughing action can work properly.
Constipation is a decrease in the frequency of bowel movements; characterized by the passing of hardened stools which may be large and associated with straining and pain.
Normal stool frequency in children: ranges from an average of 4 per day in the first week of life to 2 per day at 1 year of age. Passing between 3 stools per day and 3 per week is usually attained by 4 years of age.
Contributing factors include: Pain, fever, inadequate fluid intake, reduced dietary fibre intake, toilet training issues, the effects of drugs, psychosocial issues, and a family history of constipation.
Signs of constipation
Two or more of the following clinical features indicate that a child is constipated:
- Fewer than three complete stools per week (unless exclusively breastfed, when stools may be infrequent).
- Hard stools (see the Bristol stool chart)
- Large stool.
- ‘Rabbit droppings’ stool.
- Overflow soiling in children older than 1 year of age (commonly very loose, smelly stools, which are passed without sensation or awareness).
Watch this animation from ERIC to understand how constipation affects children and how it should be treated:
Useful links
The organisations below can provide more information and support for parents and carers of children and young people with constipation:
ERIC (Education and Resources for Improving Childhood Continence): eric.org.uk
British Association of Dieticians (fluid intake): bda.uk.com/foodfacts/fluid.pdf
You can also go to NHS UK for more information about constipation in children
Most headaches will go away on their own and aren’t a sign of something more serious. 70% of young people experience a headache at least once a year. Young people’s headaches may be different to adult’s headache.
For more information and advice when medical help is needed click here
Migraine is not just a headache; migraine can cause the following symptoms:
- Feeling sick or vomiting,
- Being extra sensitive to light or sound
- Tummy pain
- “Aura”- visual disturbances, confusion, numbness and/or pins and needles.
Migraine can be easily be overlooked so you should seek help from your GP if you have any of these symptoms.
Migraine triggers
It is often not just one thing that triggers a migraine attack. If potential causes can be identified, it may be possible to reduce the number of attacks by making changes to your lifestyle and diet.
Common triggers to migraine can include:
- Dehydration – not drinking enough water
- Stress and anxiety including exams
- Certain foods including chocolate, cheese, citrus fruit
- Puberty & hormonal changes
- Not eating regularly
- Changes in sleep pattern
- Too much TV/video games
- Not enough fresh air
- Change in weather
- Flickering lights or reflections in water
- Exercise without food
Gastroenteritis is an infection of the gut which causes diarrhoea, vomiting and tummy pain. Diarrhoea and vomiting are common in adults, children and babies. They are often caused by a stomach bug and should stop in a few days. Severe gastroenteritis can cause dehydration particularly in young children.
Symptoms
- Watery, usually non bloody diarrhoea — bloody diarrhoea usually means you have a different, more severe infection. The usual duration of diarrhoea is 5–7 days and in most children it stops within 2 weeks.
- Abdominal cramps and pain.
- Nausea, vomiting or both. The usual duration of vomiting is 1 or 2 days and in most children it stops within 3 days.
Occasional muscle aches or headache.
Low-grade fever (temperature).
The advice is the same if you have diarrhoea and vomiting together or separately.
Looking after a child with gastroenteritis
You can look after your child at home if they have diarrhoea and vomiting. There’s not usually any specific treatment and your child should start feeling better in a few days. You don’t normally need to get medical advice unless their symptoms don’t improve or there’s a risk of a more serious problem. To help ease your child’s symptoms you can:
- Encourage them to drink plenty of fluids. They need to replace the fluids lost from vomiting and diarrhoea. Water is generally best. Avoid giving them fizzy drinks or fruit juice, as they can make their diarrhoea worse. Babies should continue to feed as usual, either with breast milk or other milk feeds. If they are vomiting, give fluids little and often. Offering small mouthfuls or use a syringe to see if this is better tolerated.
- Make sure they get plenty of rest.
- Let your child eat if they’re eating solids and feel hungry. Try small amounts of plain foods, such as soup, rice, pasta and bread.
- Give them paracetamol if they have an uncomfortable fever or aches and pains.
- Use special rehydration drinks made from sachets bought from pharmacies if they’re dehydrated. Your GP or pharmacist can advise on how much to give your child.
- Don’t give them anti-diarrhoeal and anti-vomiting medication, unless advised to by your GP or pharmacist.
- Providing regular mouth care is important to maintain oral hygiene. Keep the lips moist by using a lip balm and clean teeth regula
Make sure you and your child wash your hands regularly while your child is ill and keep them away from school or nursery until at least 48 hours after their symptoms have cleared.
Preventing spread of infection:
- Washing hands thoroughly with soap (liquid if possible) in warm running water and careful drying is the best way to prevent the spread of gastroenteritis. Don’t rely on alcohol hand gels, as they’re not always effective.
- Hands should be washed after going to the toilet and changing nappies, and before preparing, serving, or eating food.
- Toilet seats, flush handles, wash-hand basin taps, surfaces, and toilet door handles should be cleaned at least once daily with hot water and detergent. A disinfectant and a disposable cloth (or one dedicated for toilet use) should be used to clean toilets. It’s best to use a bleach-based household cleaner.
- Towels, flannels and cutlery used by infected children should not be shared.
- Soiled clothing and bed linen should be washed separately from other clothes and at the highest temperature they will tolerate (for example 60°C or higher for linen).
- Soaking in disinfectant is not necessary. The washing machine should not be more than half full to allow for adequate washing and rinsing.
- Children should not go back to school or other childcare facility until at least 48 hours after the last episode of diarrhoea or vomiting.
- Children should not swim in swimming pools for 2 weeks after the last episode of diarrhoea.
Getting medical advice for your child
You don’t usually need to see your GP if you think your child has gastroenteritis, as it should get better on its own, and taking them to a GP surgery can put others at risk.
Phone the 111 service or your GP if you’re concerned about your child, or they:
- Have symptoms of dehydration, such as passing less urine than normal, being unusually irritable or unresponsive, pale or mottled skin, or cold hands and feet.
- Have blood in their poo or green vomit.
- Are vomiting constantly and are unable to keep down any fluids or feeds.
- Have had diarrhoea for more than a week.
- Have been vomiting for three days or more.
- Have signs of a more serious illness, such as a high fever – temperature of 38°C or higher in children younger than 3 months temperature of 39°C or higher in children aged 3 months or older, shortness of breath, rapid breathing, a stiff neck, a rash that doesn’t fade when you roll a glass over it or a bulging fontanelle (the soft spot on a baby’s head).
- Have a serious underlying condition, such as inflammatory bowel disease or a weak immune system, and have diarrhoea and vomiting.
- Have symptoms of dehydration, such as passing less urine than normal, being unusually irritable or unresponsive, pale or mottled skin, or cold hands and feet.
- Have blood in their poo or green vomit.
- Are vomiting constantly and are unable to keep down any fluids or feeds.
- Have had diarrhoea for more than a week.
- Have been vomiting for three days or more.
- Have signs of a more serious illness, such as a high fever – temperature of 38°C or higher in children younger than 3 months temperature of 39°C or higher in children aged 3 months or older, shortness of breath, rapid breathing, a stiff neck, a rash that doesn’t fade when you roll a glass over it or a bulging fontanelle (the soft spot on a baby’s head).
- Have a serious underlying condition, such as inflammatory bowel disease or a weak immune system, and have diarrhoea and vomiting.