It Can Be Scary When Your Child Is Sick
It鈥檚 3am and the pattering of racing little feet invades my foggy dreams鈥.again.听 Ugggghh!!听 This is his听fourth mad dash to the bathroom tonight.听 Did he make it to the toilet on time?鈥 stumble out of bed to see how my poor little five-year-old is doing.听 Diarrhea is terrible, especially for kids.听 After a quick clean-up and comfort session, we snuggle on the couch to spend a bit of 鈥渜uality time鈥 with fluids before heading back to bed.听 And hope this is the last sprint for the night鈥
As parents, we鈥檝e all experienced these late-night wake-up calls when our children are sick or injured.听 Our hearts break as we see how uncomfortable they can be.听 I鈥檝e been there, with my own听three kids.听 And as a pediatrician in the Emergency Department (ED) at the Alberta Children鈥檚 Hospital, I鈥檝e heard over and over again the concern in the voices of parents who can鈥檛 believe how much their child has vomited, or how bad the barky cough is, or how high the fever is. And, having experience it with my own children and those I鈥檝e cared for in the ED, I understand that parents have a lot questions (鈥淚s my child dehydrated鈥, 鈥淐an a fever hurt my child鈥, 鈥淚s this rash dangerous鈥 or 鈥淒oes my child have a concussion鈥?).听 So where can we turn for answers?
Doctors and nurses at Alberta Children鈥檚 Hospital and Stollery Children鈥檚 Hospital have worked together to develop a new resource for families and caregivers: the HEAL (Health Education and Learning) website ().听听 Our goal is to provide families across Alberta with a reliable, trusted source of information that will empower them to manage common minor acute illness at home.听 It also provides guidance on when to seek additional medical attention.
For each of the top 10 minor acute illnesses that are seen in Alberta鈥檚 pediatric ED, the HEAL website gives information on 鈥淲hat Is It鈥, 鈥淪ymptoms鈥, 鈥淭reatment鈥, 鈥淜ey Points鈥 and when to 鈥淪eek Immediate Medical Attention鈥.听 The following topics are explored:
鈥⑻鼴arky Cough
鈥⑻鼵ough and Wheeze (Bronchiolitis)
鈥⑻鼵ommon Cold
鈥⑻鼸ar Pain
鈥⒙灿辞蝉别产濒别别诲蝉
鈥⑻鼿ead Injury
鈥⑻齎omiting and Diarrhea
鈥⑻鼺别惫别谤
鈥⑻鼺ebrile Seizures
鈥⑻齊补蝉丑别蝉
Things to remember:
鈥⑻鼵ommon acute minor illnesses and injuries are a normal part of growing up.
鈥⑻齅any of these minor illnesses and injuries are best treated at home.
鈥⑻齌he new HEAL website () has reliable information provided by Alberta鈥檚 pediatric doctors and nurses; the same trusted information that is given in our pediatrics EDs.
鈥⑻齀f you need further advise/help, contact Health Link (811), your family doctor or an urgent care centre.
鈥⑻齀f your child has an emergency, go to the nearest ED or call 911
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