A Parent's Guide to Child Health
Clear, practical materials about children's symptoms and when it's time to see a doctor.
- “Hong Kong flu”Where the expression “Hong Kong flu” came from, how it relates to influenza A(H3N2), what is genuinely special about it and what is newspaper noise — and when a child should be shown to a doctor.Read more
- Adenovirus infection in childrenHow adenovirus differs from an ordinary respiratory infection: why it often brings red eyes and an upset tummy, why it circulates at any time of year, and when a child needs to be examined rather than watched.Read more
- Bronchitis in childrenWhat a doctor means by bronchitis, why a long cough does not prove a bacterial infection, how to think about a lingering fever, and when the child needs to be seen again.Read more
- Childhood vaccination in GeorgiaGeorgia's national immunisation calendar by age, the minimum intervals between doses, what is done about missed vaccinations and about a child without documents, how refusal works and which states are officially classed as 'false contraindications'.Read more
- Colds (ARVI) in childrenWhat lies behind the catch-all diagnosis of an acute respiratory viral infection, which symptom combinations occur most often, why they cannot name the specific virus, and when a child should be shown to a paediatrician.Read more
- Cough in childrenWhy the character of a cough does not name its cause, what is genuinely worth watching — breathing, duration, and the child's condition — and when an examination is needed.Read more
- COVID-19 in childrenHow COVID-19 runs in children, what symptoms it causes, why it cannot be told apart from flu or an ordinary cold by symptoms, what MIS-C and long COVID are — and when a doctor's help is needed.Read more
- Coxsackie in childrenWhy the main problem with this infection is not the rash but the mouth ulcers and the refusal to drink; what “hand, foot and mouth” means; why an examination is needed; and why a test is usually unnecessary.Read more
- Dehydration in childrenWhy children lose fluid faster than adults, what a parent can genuinely observe at home, what home assessment cannot show, and when an examination is needed without delay.Read more
- Diarrhoea in childrenWhat counts as diarrhoea at different ages, why the main risk is fluid loss, whether food restrictions are needed, and which signs call for an examination.Read more
- Enterovirus infection in childrenEnteroviruses are not one illness but a large group of viruses. We look at why the same group has such different faces — from a common cold to a rash and hand-foot-and-mouth disease — what in this needs examining, and why the name of the virus rarely changes the management.Read more
- Fever in childrenWhy the number on the thermometer is not the main indicator, which signs to watch, and when a child needs to be seen by a pediatrician.Read more
- Flu in childrenHow flu differs from an ordinary respiratory infection, how it usually runs in children, who is at higher risk, and which signs need an examination without waiting.Read more
- Rash in childrenWhy a rash cannot be identified from a photograph, which signs genuinely matter, which combination of symptoms needs an urgent examination, and what is worth telling the doctor.Read more
- Rotavirus in childrenWhy rotavirus infection is hardest in the first years of life, how it differs from “food poisoning”, what a test is for, and when waiting is not an option.Read more
- RSV in childrenWhat respiratory syncytial virus is, why the child's age matters more here than the virus itself, how it relates to bronchiolitis, and which signs are used to judge breathing and feeding.Read more
- Runny nose in childrenWhy the colour of the discharge proves nothing, how long a runny nose usually lasts, why it matters for babies, and when a child needs to see a doctor.Read more
- Sore throat in childrenWhat causes a sore throat in children, why the look of the throat cannot tell you the cause, when a doctor may order a strep test, and which signs call for an examination without waiting.Read more
- Virus or bacteriaWhy a parent cannot tell a virus from a bacterium by outward signs, what actually helps the doctor, and why an antibiotic is never prescribed “just in case”.Read more
- Vomiting in childrenWhy the key question is not how many times the child has vomited but whether they can drink; which causes of vomiting are unrelated to a gut infection; and which signs call for an examination without delay.Read more
- When to see a paediatricianHow to tell a situation where a routine consultation is enough from one where the child should be seen today, and from one where waiting is not an option. Plus the schedule of routine check-ups.Read more