Caring for a young child is not always easy. Emergencies can occur at any time and it could leave you worried. Paediatric emergencies are so common and they make up many of the emergency cases in hospitals.
Paediatric emergencies can often cause parents to worry, especially when dealing with their first child. But you should keep in mind that children, when they are very young, can be quite fragile and their immune system is still developing. This makes them very vulnerable. The best thing you can do in such a case is to take the child to a paediatric hospital for proper diagnosis and treatment.
In today’s post, we would be looking at some common paediatric emergencies in Nigeria.
1. Pain
You might feel the need to rush your child to the hospital because they are experiencing pain in one form or the other. Just like in adults, young children could experience pain in different parts of their body, like their head, chest, abdomen, eyes, and so on. This pain could make your child uncomfortable. If the pain is not so serious, it might not cause a lot of discomforts and might be gone without you having to do anything. But if the pain lingers past a day, it may be necessary for you to rush the child to the hospital to find out what exactly is wrong with the child.
3. Infections
Like we noted above, the immune system of a child is not so strong, which makes them very vulnerable to infections. Some infections could be mild while others could be very serious and even put your child’s life at risk. That is why as soon as you notice the first signs of any infection, you should seek medical help. You should make sure that your child is properly treated to avoid a reoccurrence. According to a 2012 study, malaria infection was one to the most common paediatric emergencies in Nigeria.
3. Injuries
You may also have to rush your child to the hospital after they have sustained one injury or the other. Injuries can occur anywhere, anytime. A child could injure after a fall or after being exposed to fire, resulting in burns. They could also cut themselves with a sharp object, or break a bone, and so on. Because the skins of young children are still very tender, they require urgent care, especially to stop the bleeding and to properly dress the injuries.
4. Skin Conditions
Skin conditions are also another paediatric emergency. If you notice something strange on your child’s skin, such as a stubborn rash, or spots that have been there for days, this may be the symptom of a skin condition. Some skin conditions only last for a few days before they disappear as fast as they came, while some would require you to apply treatment. Before you go about just applying any treatment, you should make sure that you get a proper diagnosis of the skin problem from a paediatrician as well as the right treatment to use.
5. Illnesses
Fever, malaria, and other illnesses can arise at any time and your child would require immediate medical attention. Children require different treatment than adults, so you should not try to treat them with medications you would use for yourself. Take the child to see a paediatrician for proper diagnosis or treatment.
Other common paediatric emergencies encountered in hospitals are dehydration respiratory distress, anaphylaxis, trauma, and seizures.
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Collins Nwokolo is a human physiologist, writer and health enthusiast. He loves writing helpful articles on health and fitness, which he enjoys sharing with everyone.
