Children/Young People’s Health

Infections (Children)

Some links on this page have been colour coded to make it easier to find the information you need:

Quick Read
In-depth
Clinical level

Infections are extremely common. Most children are hit by multiple infections during a typical year. The good news is that the vast majority of infections are self-limiting, getting better without any specific treatment (such as antibiotics). In fact, as you will read in most of the of the linked articles on this page, antibiotics are usually not recommended in most situations and there is also the serious and important issue of antibiotic drug resistance to consider. Though not common it is worth everyone knowing what the symptoms and signs of sepsis are.

How can you decide what to do if your child has an infection?

Simple information on When you should worry if your child has a fever/ high temperature

From Healthier Together – What 0 to 18
Includes simple information when you should worry and what to do
Fever / High Temperature Fever / High Temperature :: Healthier Together

The FOUR OPTIONS FOR DEALING WITH INFECTIONS

There are effectively 4 options to consider with any infection

  • Self-Care (without any support)
  • Self-Care (with the support of your pharmacist)
  • Assessment at your GP practice or contact 111
  • Attending an Accident and Emergency department (A&E)

The different options are based on what actions are required with different conditions. Many common infections are covered on this page. The articles from the NHS website very helpfully suggest for each infection how you can provide self-care for your child with or without the support of your pharmacist, when you should attend your GP practice or contact 111, and when you should attend A&E (directly without going through your GP practice).

Always remember you can contact 111 if you are not sure what to do and they will be able to guide you. 

NHS 111

If you are not sure which service to attend then 111 can advise you

As the NHS suggests
NHS 111 can help if you think you need  medical help right now

ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY

There are only a few instances when you should ever need to call 999 and attend A&E for a serious infection but these are very important to know about and worth understanding in full, as they can develop after you have seen a GP and also when you might have been given antibiotics.

Always remember you can contact 111 if you are not sure what to do and they will be able to guide you. 

Using the traffic light system to help understand serious symptoms and signs

The traffic light system (with red, orange and green coloured tables) is used for identifying risk of serious illness with common presentations such as fever (high temperature), rashes, headaches, vomiting and diarrhoea, and more that can come with an infection. The red table for each presentation includes symptoms and signs that would suggest urgent help is needed at a hospital emergency (A&E) department.

You should review all the symptoms and signs which come with your child’s infection (such as fever, rashes, headaches etc.) to help you understand whether your child should attend A&E.

From Healthier Together – What 0 to 18
provides excellent simple information including the traffic light system covering the ages 0 to 18. This is a good place to start. Scroll down each page to find the traffic light system information. 

Using the NHS website to help understand serious symptoms and signs

The articles from the NHS website, many of which are listed on this page, very helpfully suggest for each infection when you should call 999 or attend A&E (directly without going through your GP practice).

Spotting sepsis and a sick child

There is further information under

when should you see a PHARMACIST

The articles from the NHS website, including those on this page for many common infections, very helpfully point out for each condition how you can provide self-care for your child with or without the support of your pharmacist. Your pharmacist can provide you with both advice and relevant over the counter medication. The range of what a pharmacist can offer is expanded on here

When should you contact 111

The articles from the NHS website, including those on this page, also include information when you should call 111 for advice

  • Your child has specific symptoms associated with the condition e.g., “you have white pus-filled spots on your tonsils” Tonsillitis – NHS or “the skin around the blisters (of chicken pox) are red, hot or painful (signs of infection)” Chickenpox – NHS

when should you attend a GP PRACTICE

The articles in particular from the NHS website provide clear information when you should take your child to your GP practice, examples include because:

  • Of their age e.g., “is 3 to 6 months old and has a temperature of 39C or higher, or you think they have a high temperature” High temperature (fever) in children – NHS
  • The condition would in most cases have expected to have improved within a particular timescale e.g., “the sore throat symptoms do not go away within 4 days” Tonsillitis – NHS

antibiotics are not commonly prescribed

Your child seeing a clinician in your GP practice does not mean they will prescribe antibiotics, but it allows any concerns to be checked out. Many of the articles, explain the decision-making process when antibiotics should be considered by clinicians.

As an example the NHS suggests for a child with an ear infection
“Antibiotics are not usually offered because infections inside the ear often clear up on their own and antibiotics make little difference to symptoms, including pain.”
“They may be prescribed if your child is less than 2 years old and has an infection in both ears.”
Ear infections Ear infections – NHS

GPs will also always try to avoid antibiotics where possible with the increase in drug resistance now apparent in the UK, though on occasions they will be prescribed. If you start a course of antibiotics, it is important you finish the course.

school exclusion

From Patient info
School Exclusion for Infections Should I send my child to school? | Exclusion for Infections | Patient

From the UK Health Security Agency
Give more detailed information
Children and young people settings: Exclusion table Children and young people settings: tools and resources – GOV.UK

COMMON INFECTIONS

The articles from the NHS website very helpfully point out for each infection how you can provide self-care for your child with or without the support of your pharmacist, when you should attend your GP and when you should attend A&E (directly without going through your GP practice). Patient info provides some good information on self-care for different infections.

THROAT, MOUTH, FACE AND SINUS INFECTIONS

How can a pharmacist help and when should I see a GP?

From the NHS, Patient info and NICE
Common Cold

Sore throat (including tonsillitis, glandular fever and laryngitis)

Sinusitis

Oral thrush

From the NHS and Patient info
As the NHS suggest “Oral thrush can be easily treated with a mouth gel bought from a pharmacy. The gel is suitable for adults, children and babies over the age of 4 months.”

Mumps

From the NHS and NICE
Mumps is uncommon since the MMR vaccination was introduced but if you think your child has mumps you should contact your GP.

Scarlet fever

From the NHS and NICE
Rash associated with sore throat which is treated with antibiotics

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS OF A VERY SERIOUS INFECTION FOR WHICH YOU SHOULD CALL 999?

See under

EAR INFECTIONS

How can a pharmacist help and when should I see a GP?

As Patient info suggest
“Ear infections are usually divided into those which occur in the ear canal (otitis externa) and those which occur in the small space behind the eardrum (the middle ear). You may hear an infection of the middle ear referred to as ‘acute otitis media’.”

From the NHS, Patient info and NICE
Ear Infection

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS OF A VERY SERIOUS INFECTION FOR WHICH YOU SHOULD CALL 999?

See under

CHEST INFECTIONS

How can a pharmacist help and when should I see a GP?

From the NHS, Patient info and NICE
Colds, cough and ear infections in children

Bronchiolitis

Croup

Bronchitis

Chest infection

Flu

Whooping cough

From the NHS
Tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) – NHS 

More serious conditions which may need hospital admission.

Advice when you can be treated at home and when you should ring 999 or attend A&E

From the NHS and Patient info
Pneumonia

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS OF A VERY SERIOUS INFECTION FOR WHICH YOU SHOULD CALL 999?

See under

HOW CAN THE RISKS OF CHEST RELATED INFECTIONS BE REDUCED?

Consider relevant vaccinations (including flu vaccination). More information is available under

If relevant giving up smoking can make a significant difference. There is good local support to help

URINE INFECTIONS (BLADDER AND KIDNEY)

How can a pharmacist help and when should I see a GP?

From the NHS
Smelly urine Smelly urine – NHS

From the NHS, Patient info and NICE
Urinary tract infections

How to collect a urine sample

From Patient info
Midstream Specimen of Urine Midstream Specimen of Urine (MSU) | Urine Analysis Test | Patient

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS OF A VERY SERIOUS INFECTION FOR WHICH YOU SHOULD CALL 999?

See under

Infections associated with a skin rash

Under “skin rashes caused by infection” some common or important infections which can cause a rash have been included

COMMON BOWEL INFECTIONS

How can a pharmacist help and when should I see a GP?

From the NHS, Patient info and NICE
Diarrhoea and vomiting

How can I prevent food poisoning?

From the Food Standards Agency
How to stay safe Food safety and hygiene | Food Standards Agency

What are the signs of significant dehydration and how is dehydration managed?

From the NHS and Patient info
Dehydration and also “What symptoms with dehydration are of concern in under 5s”

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS OF A VERY SERIOUS INFECTION FOR WHICH YOU SHOULD CALL 999?

See under

If your child as a fever for 5 days or more see your GP, as the uncommon but serious condition Kawasaki’s disease should be excluded.

KAWASAKI DISEASE

Kawasaki disease is a very uncommon condition (8 in100,000 children), normally in children under the age of 5. The cause has not been determined and it is not contagious.

As the NHS suggests
“A child with Kawasaki disease has a high temperature that lasts for 5 days or longer, and possibly 1 or more of the following symptoms:

  • a rash
  • swollen glands in the neck
  • dry, red cracked lips
  • a swollen, bumpy, red tongue (“strawberry tongue”)
  • red inside the mouth and at the back of the throat
  • swollen and red hands and feet
  • red eyes “

From the NHS and Patient info
Kawasaki disease

Infectious disease outbreaks (such as covid-19)

Information on any national infectious disease outbreaks such as Covid-19 are included under

Flu

Information on flu is included under

OVERVIEW

From the NHS

From Patient info and NICE
Infectious illnesses in children

From Gov UK
Infectious diseases: detailed information Health protection: Infectious diseases – detailed information – GOV.UK

VACCINATIONS

Having the relevant vaccinations can significantly reduce the risk of getting many infections including meningitis and flu. See under

TRAVEL related INFECTIONS

When travelling abroad it is worth considering vaccinations, medicines and precautions to protect your child from infection. See under

SMOKING AND ALCOHOL

If relevant to you, for some infections, stopping smoking or reducing alcohol can reduce the impact of an infection. There is good local support to help

Spotting sepsis

SEPSIS

Having some basic knowledge of the symptoms and signs of sepsis can allow you to identify when someone is becoming seriously ill and take immediate action. This is explained under

What steps are required to help avoid antibiotic resistance?

Tackling antibiotic resistance is not only about supporting you and your child but also future generations

There are a few questions to consider

  • What is antibiotic resistance and why is it serious?
  • When do you really need antibiotics?
  • How can you be supported if you do not have antibiotics?

Some answers to these questions can be found under

Videos and podcasts

On the videos and podcasts page there are links to some relevant videos and podcasts covering how your local pharmacy can give you support if your child has a minor illness.

  • Videos And Podcasts – see section “minor illness and support from your local pharmacist.”

NHS 111

If you think you need medical help right now, 111 online can tell you what to do next.

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Seven common infections now treated by your local pharmacist

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