Child Emergency Warning Signs — When to Rush Your Child to Hospital
Every parent should know these danger signs. Recognising a paediatric emergency and acting quickly can save your child's life.
Most childhood illnesses can wait for a clinic appointment or be managed at home. But certain symptoms in children are emergencies requiring immediate hospital care. As a PICU-trained paediatrician, Dr. Sushma B at Sri Anand Child and Neuro Center has seen the consequences of delayed emergency recognition. This guide helps parents in Hyderabad identify which symptoms are true emergencies — and what to do.
Key Points
- Emergency in a child: not breathing, seizure over 5 minutes, unconscious, severe breathing difficulty, blue lips.
- Call 108 rather than driving — the ambulance crew can begin treatment en route.
- High fever in a child under 3 months is always an emergency, even if the child looks well.
- Severe dehydration signs: no urination for 8 hours, sunken fontanelle in babies, no tears when crying.
- Head injuries with loss of consciousness or vomiting more than twice need immediate evaluation.
5 min
call 108 if seizure lasts this long
Source: ILAE / IAP
<3 mo
any fever is an emergency at this age
Source: AAP / NICE
GO TO HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY — These Are Emergencies
Fever in Babies Under 3 Months
Any fever (temperature ≥38°C / 100.4°F) in a baby under 3 months is a medical emergency. Young infants cannot fight serious bacterial infections and can deteriorate rapidly. Go to hospital immediately — do not treat at home and wait.
Difficulty Breathing or Noisy Breathing
Rapid breathing (more than 60 breaths/minute in infants, 40+ in toddlers), noisy breathing (stridor, wheezing), retractions (skin pulling between ribs when breathing), or blue lips/fingernails — these indicate respiratory distress. Emergency hospital immediately.
Seizure / Convulsion in a Child
Any seizure in a child — especially a first seizure, a seizure lasting more than 5 minutes, or a seizure in a child under 6 months — requires emergency evaluation. Keep the child safe (on their side), do not restrain, do not put anything in their mouth, call emergency services.
Unresponsive or Extremely Drowsy Child
A child who cannot be woken normally, is extremely floppy, does not respond to their name or to pain, or is unusually difficult to rouse — this is a medical emergency. Call emergency services immediately.
Non-Blanching Rash with Fever
A rash that does not fade when pressed with a glass (non-blanching, purpuric) combined with fever is meningococcal disease until proven otherwise. This is life-threatening. Go to hospital immediately — every minute counts.
Signs of Severe Dehydration
Sunken fontanelle (infant), sunken eyes, dry mouth, no tears when crying, no urine for more than 8 hours, very reduced activity level, or skin that stays pinched — emergency hospital for IV fluids.
Urgent But Not Emergency — See Doctor Within 24 Hours
High Fever (>39°C) in Child 3–6 Months
Infants 3–6 months with fever above 39°C should be seen urgently (within hours) but are not always an emergency if they are feeding, alert, and not in respiratory distress. Call 90633 66983 for same-day appointment.
Fever for More Than 5 Days in Any Child
Fever lasting more than 5 days without improvement requires medical evaluation to exclude bacterial infection, typhoid, dengue, or Kawasaki disease. Call for a same-day or next-day appointment.
Infant Not Feeding Properly
An infant who is refusing feeds, feeding less than usual, or has not had a wet nappy for more than 6 hours needs same-day evaluation for dehydration and illness.
Ear Pain with Fever
Ear pain combined with fever in a child should be seen the same day or next morning — acute otitis media may need treatment to prevent complications.
Rash With or Without Fever
New rashes in children — especially chickenpox spreading rapidly, rash with fever and lymph nodes, or any rash in an unimmunised child — should be seen within 24 hours.
Why Choose Sri Anand Hospital?
Treated by: Dr. Sushma B · DNB Paediatrics · Fellowship PICU · Emergency Paediatrics
"Trust your parental instinct — if your child looks wrong to you, even if you cannot explain why, come in. Parents know their children better than any medical textbook. I would rather see a hundred children who turned out to be fine than miss one who needed urgent help."
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Sri Anand Child & Neuro Hospital · Open 24/7 · Chanda Nagar, Hyderabad