Grandparents love having the grandkids over to visit, but sometimes it’s not all fun and games.
When a child falls ill or has an accident, how can you know when it’s best to treat them yourself with home remedies, and when should you rush them to urgent care or the emergency room?
The Best Treatments Today
Dr. Timothy Lee, the medical director at Akron Children’s Hospital Emergency Department, says some home remedies and even medical treatments from past generations are now considered either dangerous or ineffective.
The top 10 issues Lee sees at the ER are probably the most common you’ll face with your grandkids:
Fever
Cough
Vomiting
Abdominal pain
Behavioral health/psychiatric issues
Respiratory distress
Rash
Ear pain
Sore throat
Head injuries
Here’s how to handle the top three.
Fever
Fever indicates a child has an infection. Lee says the actual temperature is less indicative of a serious problem than a dramatic change in your grandchild’s behavior.
While a temperature of 104 degrees is cause for concern, a child’s lethargy and lack of response to their environment offer the biggest clue that they need emergency treatment.
Offer an over-the-counter fever reducer such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) and wait 45 minutes to an hour to see if the child begins playing again or otherwise shows signs of more typical behavior.
“Generally, a child’s behavior is a better indicator of how serious their illness is than the height of their fever,” Lee says.
A child should be seen right away if they seem sluggish, won’t eat or drink, appear mottled, have cool hands and feet (suggesting shock), have difficulty breathing or have an unusual rash such as purple spots under the skin. Also, infants 60 days old or younger should be brought to medical attention immediately if they have a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher.
Cough
How you should handle a cough depends on its cause. If Johnny has had a cough with nasal congestion and a runny nose for three to five days, he likely has a cold. Keep him comfortable at home with a vaporizer running, feeding him warm tea with honey and lemon (do not give honey to infants less than a year old, due to risk of botulism).
Lee says to avoid OTC cough suppressants for any child under the age of 5, and skip cough suppressants with codeine; the narcotic can cause breathing trouble and other complications. Children over 5 can take some OTC cough suppressants, but be careful with DM (short for dextromethorphan) in the name because it can cause sluggishness, and/or hallucinations.
If severe coughing occurs suddenly and is accompanied by difficulty breathing or speaking, wheezing, flaring nostrils, a bobbing head or sinking motions at the skin over the base of the neck or between their ribs, it could be caused by choking. Bring your grandchild to an ER or urgent care immediately.
Vomiting
How you should handle vomiting depends on its cause. If it happens after being struck in the abdomen or head, or soon after eating, head to the ER. Get medical attention if your grandchild has constant pain and/or pain that increases when walking or changing position.
Vomiting with diarrhea is likely viral and should subside within 24 hours or up to three days. Intermittent pain/cramping is normal. Make your grandchild as comfortable as possible at home. Watch for dehydration, which can be detected by lethargy or changes in behavior.
Poison Hazards
Also concerning to Lee is the prevalence of accidental poisonings from toddlers ingesting their grandparents’ medications or household cleaners left within easy reach.
“Accidental poisonings don’t rank among the top 10 or 20 cases we see, but they are very common and also preventable,” he says.
Keep the Poison Control Center number handy (1-800-222-1222). Lee does not recommend syrup of ipecac, which was a common vomit inducer from the past. Little of the swallowed poison is expelled during the process, and making a child vomit can cause more harm than good.
Pumping the stomach was another common medical response to poisoning 30 years ago, but is no longer considered a best practice.
Today, vital signs are monitored and interventions such as a ventilator or blood dialysis are used so children won’t stop breathing or go into shock. Ingestible charcoal can be used to absorb and expel a non-metal poison.
Play it Safe
Medical emergencies can be part of the package when grandkids come to visit. If you still aren’t sure whether to treat your grandchild at home or at the ER, play it safe and get medical attention.
Lee says 80 percent to 90 percent of ER pediatric patients are released that same day. Back to grandmother’s house we go!
