--- title: "Children's health Guides — Doctor-Reviewed | HealthAnswers" description: "Plain-English children" url: https://healthanswers.co.uk/childrens-health/ robots: noindex --- # Children's health Guides — Doctor-Reviewed | HealthAnswers Children's health Clear, NHS-aligned guides for parents and carers in the UK — common infections, fever and rashes, and the signs that need 111 or 999 rather than a wait-and-see night. If a child is seriously unwell, do not use this hub as a delay. [Match the urgency](https://healthanswers.co.uk/health-tools/when-to-get-help/) or call 999. ## Symptoms to take seriously - [Fever in children](https://healthanswers.co.uk/symptoms/fever-in-children/) - [Rashes in babies and children](https://healthanswers.co.uk/symptoms/rashes-in-children/) - [Vomiting and diarrhoea in children](https://healthanswers.co.uk/symptoms/vomiting-in-children/) - [Earache](https://healthanswers.co.uk/symptoms/earache/) ## Common childhood conditions - [Meningitis](https://healthanswers.co.uk/conditions/meningitis/) - [Croup](https://healthanswers.co.uk/conditions/croup/) - [Bronchiolitis](https://healthanswers.co.uk/conditions/bronchiolitis/) - [RSV (respiratory syncytial virus)](https://healthanswers.co.uk/conditions/rsv/) - [Chickenpox](https://healthanswers.co.uk/conditions/chickenpox/) - [Measles](https://healthanswers.co.uk/conditions/measles/) - [Scarlet fever](https://healthanswers.co.uk/conditions/scarlet-fever/) - [Hand, foot and mouth disease](https://healthanswers.co.uk/conditions/hand-foot-and-mouth-disease/) - [Ear infection](https://healthanswers.co.uk/conditions/ear-infection/) - [Tonsillitis](https://healthanswers.co.uk/conditions/tonsillitis/) - [Impetigo](https://healthanswers.co.uk/conditions/impetigo/) - [Head lice](https://healthanswers.co.uk/conditions/head-lice/) - [Threadworms](https://healthanswers.co.uk/conditions/threadworms/) - [Whooping cough](https://healthanswers.co.uk/conditions/whooping-cough/) - [ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)](https://healthanswers.co.uk/conditions/adhd/) - [Autism](https://healthanswers.co.uk/conditions/autism/) ## Medicines and home care - [Paracetamol](https://healthanswers.co.uk/treatments/paracetamol/) - [Ibuprofen and anti-inflammatory painkillers](https://healthanswers.co.uk/treatments/ibuprofen/) - [Oral rehydration salts](https://healthanswers.co.uk/treatments/oral-rehydration-salts/) ## NHS services - [NHS — urgent and emergency care](https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/urgent-and-emergency-care-services/) - [NHS 111 online](https://111.nhs.uk/) - [When to get help — 999, 111, GP or pharmacy](https://healthanswers.co.uk/health-tools/when-to-get-help/) - [Questions to take to a GP about a child](https://healthanswers.co.uk/health-tools/questions-for-your-gp/?topic=Child%20who%20is%20unwell) ## Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland 111 and pharmacy schemes are run by each UK nation. Use the service where you are, not an England pathway copied from a search result. ### Urgent advice (111) - England: Call 111 or use 111.nhs.uk for urgent advice that is not a 999 emergency. [NHS 111 online](https://111.nhs.uk/) - Scotland: NHS 24 runs 111. Use it when you need urgent care and your GP, pharmacy or dentist is closed, or you think you need A&E but it is not life-threatening. [NHS 24 — when to phone 111](https://www.nhs24.scot/111/) - Wales: NHS 111 Wales provides urgent advice by phone and online. [NHS 111 Wales](https://111.wales.nhs.uk/) - Northern Ireland: There is no general 111 service. Use your GP surgery’s out-of-hours number, listed on nidirect. [nidirect — GP out of hours](https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/gp-out-hours-services) ## Common questions When should I get urgent help for a child? Call 999 if a child is blue, unresponsive, struggling to breathe, has a seizure that does not stop, or a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it. Use NHS 111 if you are worried and it is not clearly an emergency — including fever in a baby under 3 months. Can I give paracetamol and ibuprofen to a child? Many childhood illnesses are treated with rest, fluids and simple pain relief from a pharmacy. Follow the pack for that child's age and weight, or ask a pharmacist. Do not use adult doses. This site does not give milligram doses. Does a rash with a fever always mean meningitis? No. Many viral illnesses cause a rash. A rash that does not fade under a glass, with severe drowsiness, stiff neck, dislike of light or a child who seems seriously unwell, needs emergency care. If you are unsure, use 111 or 999 rather than waiting. Should I send a child to school or nursery? Keep them off if they have a high temperature, are too unwell to take part, or the illness has a specific exclusion period (for example some rashes). NHS and UKHSA pages list exclusion advice. When in doubt, ask the school and a pharmacist or GP.