General Symptons
Dr Scott Parsons
The author, has worked as a general practitioner with a special interest in paediatrics for the last 20 years. He has developed this website in order to help parents with the task of raising children. He currently works in Adelaide at Total GP Care Norwood and Priorty Paediatrics
Affiliations
The website content is based on evidenced based guidelines. There are no commercial affiliations.
Fever
Fever in children is a common reason for seeing a doctor or attending a hospital. From a health professional’s perspective the most important aspect is to assess the child and find the cause. Treatment of the fever is secondary. This article explains fever and demystifies some of the misinformation surrounding fever What Causes Fever? Fever […]
When to take your child to hospital
The decision to take your child to hospital is difficult and this post attempts to help the parent who is unsure. Those symptoms such as cough, fever, or vomiting are common but occasionally may herald the onset of a more serious condition.
Teeth care in children
Teeth development starts in utero. Teeth eruption generally starts around 6 months with central incisors, but can be as young as 3 months and as late as 12 months. The teeth and gums from this age are susceptible to decay called caries. This article discusses risk factors for early dental caries and provides some advice […]
Cough
Cough is an essential way in which the lungs expel unwanted material. It is a protection for the more fragile areas of the lungs. Unfortunately cough can be distressing particularly during the night. There is little role for cough medicines in children though they are marketed very well. The most common cause of cough is a simple viral bronchitis after an upper respiratory tract infection.
Headache
Headaches probably occur in all ages but clearly become recognisable when a child can communicate. Up to 40% of children will have suffered a headache by the time they are 7. The severity of the headache will affect activity. So if the child is unable to function, is holding his or her head and […]
Acute Abdominal Pain
Children often complain of abdominal pains and ascertaining whether the cause is serious can be difficult. This is a common reason to seek medical advice. This article helps to decide whether the problem is severe enough to warrant a trip to the doctor. Click here to see the article on recurrent abdominal pain. How does […]
Vomiting
What is it ? Vomiting represents the expulsion of the stomach contents, forcibly. Apart from during the infant period, vomiting usually indicates there is some irritation of the stomach, or some sort of generalised illness. It can occur with any illness and some children will vomit quite regularly when they are unwell. Rarely vomiting can […]