Part of parenting is experiencing one of the most dreaded feelings of having an ill child. For new parents, experience is still what makes them know their child well. Their gut feeling always works and it saves their child for getting more serious problems whenever signs and symptoms of ailments start to appear. For those who are starting a family and just new in taking care of children, it is a must to take note of these signs that a child is ill. It is recommended that you seek the help of your family physician right away when you see these: 

- Fever higher than 101-degree Fahrenheit or 38.33-degree Celsius for more than 24 hours that is accompanied by extreme irritability, difficulty in breathing, or difficulty in rousing the child from sleep 

- A persistent cough that is accompanied by wheezing or shortness of breath 

- Earache or ear irritability for more than an hour especially when it is accompanied by fever 

- Stomachache that persists for more than two hours accompanied by bloody stools and vomiting 

- For babies, it is unusual if they wet a larger or smaller number of diapers in a day. 

- Diarrhea that is unusual with presence of blood or accompanied by vomiting, fever, or absence of urination that lasts for a day 

- Loose bowel movement more that five times in an hour or two 

- Vomiting accompanied by fever or blood that lasts for 12 hours

- Lethargic or withdrawn behavior. 

- Bulging or depression of a soft spot on an infant’s head.

- Warm or moist skin 

- Pale or flushed appearance 

- Blisters following a burn 

- Lack of appetite accompanied by fever for a day 

References:

Cambell, D. et al. (2009). Babies: How can You tell if Your Baby is Ill?. Retrieved from      

          http://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/En/HealthAZ/DevelopmentalStages/Babies/Pages/Babies-How-

          http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/parenting/baby-and-toddler/advice/a25994/how-to-know-how-sick-