Common Childhood Illnesses

Treat the child, not the thermometer

Fever is a symptom. The child’s appearance, breathing, hydration, activity, age and accompanying symptoms matter.

The natural course matters

Parents often judge treatment by whether every symptom disappears quickly. Many viral illnesses improve with time and supportive care. The doctor’s role includes identifying when the course is no longer behaving as expected.

Warning signs change the plan

Breathing difficulty, significant dehydration, unusual lethargy, seizures, bluish colour, altered consciousness, unexplained bleeding and other serious symptoms need prompt assessment.

Do not keep extending self-medication

Persistent or worsening symptoms deserve reassessment rather than repeatedly adding medicines at home.

Questions parents commonly ask

• When should fever worry me?
• Does fever need antibiotics?
• How do I identify dehydration?
• When is fast breathing dangerous?

Watch Dr. Rajiv explain

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