When do you take kids to doc.?

amother

Ecru

Wed, Feb 03 2016, 10:30 am

I find that I go to the doc too often with my kids and they usually send me home telling me to wait it out. I get nervous from a fever, a cough, a runny nose and I run to make an appt. it's not simple for me to go to doc and BH I'm usually sent home with no meds or anything.

I guess my question is: how do I know when I need to take kids and when I'm being overly cautious?
do you go when your kid has a fever with no other symptoms or only when they have a fever with another ache?
do you go for every cough or only some that sound very bad?
what about strep? I know that requires meds and if neglected can become really serious but how do I know when it may be strep and when it's just my overactive overanxious imagination?

the world's best mom

Wed, Feb 03 2016, 11:53 am

Runny noses alone do not require doctor's visits. Coughing might, but only if it's bad- like if it's disrupting his sleep terribly, or hurting his chest. Wheezing is always a reason to see a doctor, unless you have meds that can help.

For fever, many people say to wait three days, but I think it also depends on how the kid is feeling. Could it possibly be due to teething? A virus, which is untreatable? Usually, if the kid is feeling totally fine on motrin, that's a sign it can wait a day or two. (I usually don't wait 3 days.)

Strep is tricky. It can come with almost no symptoms. Sometimes, you get to know what your kid's typical symptoms are with strep, and you can take him when those happen.

lfab

Wed, Feb 03 2016, 12:38 pm

For a runny nose/cold I never go to the doctor. For a cough I would only take if it sounded really bad, was interfering with their function (ie. difficulty breathing, sleeping, etc.) or was persistent. For a fever I usually wait at least 2-3 days if there are no other symptoms. If a child is complaining that their ears or throat hurt then I would take them in to be checked after 1-2 days (even if there was no fever). If you're not sure if you need to bring a child in the best thing might be to call the doctor's office and tell them your child's symptoms. Then they can decide if it's worth bringing the child in or waiting it out.

thunderstorm

Wed, Feb 03 2016, 1:41 pm

lfab wrote:

This!

HonesttoGod

Wed, Feb 03 2016, 2:25 pm

If my kid is lethargic or not himself with a cold/fever and it lasts more than 1-2 days I would take him to the dr.
Ear infection symptoms and sticky eye I also take.

Coughs that seem heavy or not getting better or wheezing also warrant a trip. A runny nose or fever for a day isn't anything to run to.

amother

Blue

Wed, Feb 03 2016, 2:32 pm

HonesttoGod wrote:

Which ear infection symptoms? I'm always nervous my dd might have one and I'll miss it.

amother

Ecru

Wed, Feb 03 2016, 2:38 pm

thank you all. question is when do I know if it's serious or not? I don't want to neglect a strep or anything else that can get serious if not treated. my kids were up half the night with cough (didn't sound terrible) and a little runny nose. also some fever. they seemed okay this morning with the same symptoms but running around and being active. I made an apt because I was so worried all night but that entails DH leaving work early, dinner being delayed.....

pesek zman

Wed, Feb 03 2016, 2:57 pm

Would you go to the doctor for yourself if you had a runny nose and cough? Likely not

Colds are viruses and there's nothing a doctor can do for them. If you want to treat the symptoms, there are cough and cold medicines and of course home remedies too.

I take my baby to doctor when I suspect an infection: ear, eye, etc.

baba

Wed, Feb 03 2016, 4:11 pm

It's serious when it doesnt get better after a few days, medication doesnt work or they become lethargic. I always wait a day or 2 and see. Even with a suspected ear infection most doctors wont give antibiotics untill 48 hours have passed and it hasnt gotten any better (of course, you do give pain medication). I def wouldnt make an appointment for what you described. Sounds like normal winter sickness. If you have an humidifier you could put that in their room at night to ease the caugh.

If it's something more serious their symptoms will also get more serious or not go away and you'll know it's time to go. But like others said, if you're so worried, why dont you just call first.

seeker

Wed, Feb 03 2016, 10:18 pm

The short answer is "when I'm worried enough." The details could be different each time. Most things have to do with something not getting better on its own soon enough. A cold/cough, if it's not very severe, "soon enough" could be a month because these things happen but if it literally doesn't go away then I think the doc should have a look if there's something going on. A severe cough that sounds different and worries me, 36 hours could be "soon enough" depending how bad it is and how little time I have (a very severe cough that makes you worry that the child isn't breathing well I would call Hatzolah, btw. You don't play games with breathing - those were my instructions from the leading Hatzolah person in my neighborhood that time I called him and DD turned out to be fine. There were other times she wasn't fine, we have done asthma and pneumonia and sometimes a mom just doesn't know. the asthma was not very observable from the outside.) I have a kid who got strep a bunch of times and had almost no symptoms, for that it was a general kvetchiness and tiredness and unfortunately "soon enough" to get that checked out wasn't all that quick, once it was when she came down with a little fever on top of it and I said kvetchy, tired, AND fever tips the scales. That was round 1. When it happened again I was a bit more alert and about a week of kvetchy and tired was soon enough for me to say she isn't herself, let's get this checked out.

LittleDucky

Wed, Feb 03 2016, 10:30 pm

I take a DC in when I am concerned- fever lasting more than 24 hours (teething usually didn't cause fevers with mine, just crankiness), a bad cough, if I think I hear wheezing, if they refuse to eat or drink anything because sick or are throwing up a lot, if anything leaves and then returns (like a fever or cough leaves 100% and then comes back a few days later). It also depends on age- newborn I bring in ASAP!
And yes, I have gone in and it turned out to be nothing. But if as a mom it bothers/worries me- I will go. I like my ped because they will let me speak to a nurse if it's "questionable" - and sometimes their OTC remedies work or they say "at X point you should come in. But even if I still want to come in they will let me.

HonesttoGod

Thu, Feb 04 2016, 11:33 am

amother wrote:

Which ear infection symptoms? I'm always nervous my dd might have one and I'll miss it.

Pulling and Touching or Holding ear.
Constant crying especially when laying down in the middle of the night
Loss of appetite and refusing to drink a bottle (for a baby)
Sticky Eye - yes it is weird but it is a symptom for an ear infection
Heavy cold that isn't going away with any of these symptoms is an almost definite ear infection for my kids.

Maybe

Thu, Feb 04 2016, 2:34 pm

If it begins on Friday or erev Yom Tov, I may see Dr immediately .Many Drs will respond by email to picture or short clip of rash or other condition, AAP no longer recommends Tylenol etc, under 102f 39c . Most fevers drop drastically within 1 day, with warm baths Grandma's chicken soup etc. If not than it maybe time to visit Dr.