When Should I Take My Child to the Emergency Room?
Constipation
Constipation is not an emergency. We do not recommend taking your child to the emergency room for constipation.
- Infants will strain to have a bowel movement due to not knowing how to bear down and relax the anus at the same time. As long as the stools passed are soft, the infant is not constipated. If your infant is feeding well, passing gas, and not overly fussy, they should be fine.
- If the stools are hard balls and your baby is over one month of age, you may give 1-2 ounces of prune, apple or pear juice per day to help soften the stools. Otherwise, call the office during regular office hours for further advice or an appointment.
Cough and Cold
Cold symptoms are not an emergency. If your child is over the age of 6 years, you can give over the counter cough and cold medications. Otherwise, simple measures you can perform at home are to run a cool mist humidifier in your child’s room and use saline spray or drops in the nose and bulb suction if they cannot blow their nose. If you have a nebulizer for your child, nebulized saline is great for a cough and for nasal congestion. If you still feel your child needs to be seen, call the office during regular hours for an appointment or further advice or take your child to ExpressCare at Southwell Medical Clinic or Southwell Medical Adel Primary Care in Adel. Visit mysouthwell.com/convenient-care to view their hours of operation.
Diarrhea
Diarrhea is not a reason to go to the emergency room. Do not give anti-diarrheal medications. We do not recommend them. The best way for the body to rid itself of the offender is to flush it out. The goal is to keep your child hydrated. Call the office during regular hours for an appointment or further advice or take your child to ExpressCare at Southwell Medical Clinic or Southwell Medical Adel Primary Care in Adel. Visit mysouthwell.com/convenient-care to view their hours of operation.
Vomiting
Vomiting is not a reason to go to the emergency room. Ways to help are sips of fluids (Pedialyte or store brand is acceptable) every 15 to 20 minutes. Vomiting can be accompanied by diarrhea and fever and new symptoms may develop as the virus progresses. Call the office during regular hours for an appointment or further advice or take your child to ExpressCare at Southwell Medical Clinic or Southwell Medical Adel Primary Care in Adel. Visit mysouthwell.com/convenient-care to view their hours of operation.
Infant Spitting Up
This is not a medical emergency. All infants will spit up, some more than others. If your infant is having normal stools and in no distress, there is no reason to go to the ER. This is something that should be addressed in the office and you should call the office during regular hours.
- Ways you can help before seeing your provider:
Burp frequently, after every ½ oz to 1 oz
Keep upright after feeds for 30-45 min
Decrease feeds by ½ oz to 1 oz and call the office for an appointment with provider to avoid weight loss.
- The only exception is projectile spitting. This is forceful spitting that comes out in an arc, clears the baby and ends up several feet in the floor. This can usually wait until the office is open again. However, if your infant is projectile spitting every feeding, is extremely irritable, showing signs of dehydration and the office is closed, you should go to the ER.
Head Injury: This can be an emergency!
- Keep in mind, it is very unlikely for a toddler who is learning to walk to have a serious head injury when they fall from a standing position because they are so close to the ground.
- If a baby less than 18 months is dropped from an adult’s arms and hits the ground or floor, they will likely need to be evaluated by a medical provider due to the soft spot not being closed. If the office is not open, take your infant to the ER.
If your child is having none of these symptoms after a head injury, it is okay to watch them at home and calling the office during regular hours for an appointment or further advice.
Rashes
Rashes are not an emergency within themselves. A rash is fine to be seen in the clinic during regular office hours or at Express Care.
Eye Discharge
Eye discharge in infants can wait until the next business day. This is usually due to a clogged tear duct. You can massage the tear duct and apply a warm compress a few times a day. If you are concerned about pink eye in your child 6 months or older after clinic hours or on weekends, take your child to ExpressCare at Southwell Medical Clinic or Southwell Medical Adel Primary Care in Adel. Visit mysouthwell.com/convenient-care to view their hours of operation. This is not an emergency and your child should not be taken to the ER.
Bleeding umbilicus in newborns
This is usually a small amount of blood and can be normal. However, if you have concerns call the office during the next business day for further advice or to schedule an appointment.
Fever
Fever itself is not an emergency. Fever is considered a temperature greater than 100.4. Fever can be treated at home with the appropriate amount of fever reducer based on your child’s weight. DO NOT GIVE MOTRIN/IBUPROFEN TO INFANTS LESS THAN 6 MONTHS, ONLY TYLENOL.
Click here for pediatric fever-reducing medicine dosing charts.
- The height of the fever is not as important as how your child responds to fever reducer medication. If the child returns to their normal state after the appropriate amount of fever reducer, he should be fine and you can call the office during regular hours for an appointment or take your child to Express Care at Southwell Medical.
For infants and children over 2 months:
- Always dose Tylenol and Motrin based on weight not age
- Keep your child well hydrated. This will help the body regulate the temperature naturally.
- You can sponge your child down with tepid water
- Keep your child in light weight clothing. Remember, babies can sweat just like adults to cool off their body.
Swallowing foreign objects or substances other than food
Other situations that require emergency care
These are situations where you should call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
- Large lacerations or cuts with bleeding
- Seizure lasting longer than 2 minutes in a child who has never had a seizure
- Seizure in a child with a diagnosed seizure disorder that last longer than 5 minutes or Diastat doesn’t stop it
- Difficulty breathing or bluish tinge to lips, skin, fingertips
- Severe abdominal pain
- Testicular pain in boys
- Severe burns
- Severe bone fractures
- Vomiting or coughing up blood
- Severe dehydration
- New or worsening psychiatric or behavioral issues
Situations that can be handled with convenient care
ExpressCare (sees infants 6 months and older) or Southwell Medical Adel Primary Care (sees infants of all ages) are both open on the weekends and weekdays before your pediatrician office opens and after their office closes. Visit mysouthwell.com/convenient-care to view their hours and address. They are great options and can treat the following concerns:
- Minor burns
- Earache
- Pink eye
- Potential urinary tract infection
- Sore throat or potential strep throat
- Rashes and mild skin infections
- Gastrointestinal issues, such as vomiting and diarrhea with mild dehydration
- Simple wounds
- Foreign objects in ears and nose
- Cough and cold
- Allergies
