A friendly library of common childhood illnesses — what they are, how to care for your child at home, and the danger signs that mean you should see a doctor.
Common Cold
सर्दी-ज़ुकाम
Coughs & breathing
A mild viral infection of the nose and throat that is extremely common in children. Most kids get several colds a year, especially in the cooler months and when starting daycare or school.
Usually affects: All children; very frequent in infants & toddlers
Symptoms
Runny or blocked noseSneezingSore or scratchy throatCoughMild feverReduced appetiteFussiness or disturbed sleep
Home care · Prevention
Home care
✓Offer plenty of fluids (breastmilk for infants, water/fluids for older children)
✓Let the child rest
✓Use saline nose drops and gentle suction for a blocked nose in babies
✓Run a humidifier or sit in a steamy bathroom to ease congestion
✓Honey for cough may help children over 1 year (never give honey under 1 year)
✓Paracetamol for fever or discomfort if needed, by weight-appropriate dose
Causes
Viruses (most often rhinoviruses), spread by coughs, sneezes and touching contaminated surfaces.
Prevention
•Frequent handwashing
•Keep child away from people who are sick
•Teach covering coughs and sneezes
•Avoid tobacco smoke exposure
•Annual flu vaccine helps prevent influenza (a different illness with similar early symptoms)
See a doctor urgently if
•Any fever in a baby under 3 months (38°C/100.4°F or higher) — seek care immediately
•Fast, laboured or noisy breathing, or skin sucking in between/under the ribs
•Bluish lips, tongue or face
•Refusing all feeds/fluids or signs of dehydration (no wet nappy 8–12 hours, no tears, very drowsy)
•High fever lasting more than 3 days, or fever that goes then returns with worsening illness
•Severe ear pain, or pus from the ear
•Unusual drowsiness, floppiness, or a child who is very hard to wake
•Symptoms lasting more than 10 days or clearly getting worse instead of better
Influenza (Flu)
फ्लू / इन्फ्लुएंज़ा
Coughs & breathing
A viral respiratory infection that tends to come on suddenly and makes a child feel much worse than a common cold, with high fever and body aches. It can be more serious than a cold, especially in young children.
Usually affects: All ages; young children are at higher risk of complications
Symptoms
Sudden high feverChills and body/muscle achesHeadacheDry coughSore throatRunny or blocked noseExtreme tirednessSometimes vomiting or diarrhoea in children
Home care · Prevention
Home care
✓Encourage rest
✓Offer plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration
✓Paracetamol or, in children over 3 months, ibuprofen for fever and aches (weight-appropriate dose)
✓Never give aspirin to children (risk of Reye's syndrome)
✓Keep the child home to rest and avoid spreading infection
Causes
Influenza viruses, spread through respiratory droplets and contaminated surfaces.
Prevention
•Annual influenza (flu) vaccine — the main protection
•Frequent handwashing
•Avoid close contact with sick people
•Cover coughs and sneezes
See a doctor urgently if
•Fast or difficult breathing, or breathing that looks like hard work
•Bluish or grey lips/face
•Chest pain
•Severe or persistent vomiting; signs of dehydration
•Not waking up, not interacting, or extreme drowsiness/confusion
•A seizure
•Fever in a baby under 3 months
•Fever that improves then returns with a worse cough — could signal pneumonia
•Any child who seems to be getting sicker rather than better
Acute Diarrhoea / Gastroenteritis & Dehydration
दस्त / पेट का संक्रमण
Tummy & digestion
Loose or watery stools (often with vomiting) caused by a gut infection. The main danger is dehydration — losing too much body fluid — which can become life-threatening in young children if not treated.
Usually affects: All children; most dangerous in infants & toddlers
Symptoms
Frequent loose or watery stoolsVomitingTummy pain or crampsFeverReduced appetiteSigns of dehydration: thirst, dry mouth, fewer wet nappies, sunken eyes, no tears, irritability or drowsiness
Home care · Prevention
Home care
✓Give ORS (oral rehydration solution) frequently in small sips after every loose stool/vomit — this is the single most important step
✓Continue breastfeeding and normal age-appropriate food; do not stop feeding
✓Give zinc supplements for 10–14 days (per local/IAP guidance) to shorten illness
✓Offer fluids more often than usual
✓Avoid sugary drinks, soft drinks and undiluted fruit juice which can worsen diarrhoea
✓Do NOT give anti-diarrhoeal medicines to children unless a doctor advises
Causes
Usually viruses (e.g. rotavirus); also bacteria or parasites, often from contaminated food or water.
Prevention
•Rotavirus vaccine (part of India's Universal Immunisation Programme)
•Safe drinking water and good hand hygiene (especially before food and after toilet)
•Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months
•Safe food handling and storage
•Good sanitation
See a doctor urgently if
•Signs of severe dehydration: very drowsy/lethargic or unconscious, sunken eyes, not drinking or unable to drink, skin that stays pinched when released
•No urine/wet nappy for 8–12 hours
•Repeated vomiting so the child cannot keep ORS down
•Blood in the stool
•Green/bile-stained vomit, or a swollen, very painful belly
•High fever, or fever in a baby under 3 months
•A convulsion
•Diarrhoea lasting more than 7 days, or a baby under 6 months with significant diarrhoea
Fever & Febrile Seizures
बुखार और बुखार के दौरे (झटके)
Other
Fever is a raised body temperature, usually a sign the body is fighting an infection — it is a symptom, not a disease. A febrile seizure is a convulsion that can happen in some young children when their temperature rises quickly; it is frightening to watch but is usually brief and harmless.
Usually affects: Fever: all ages. Febrile seizures: typically 6 months to 5 years
Symptoms
Raised temperature (38°C/100.4°F or higher)Flushed skin, sweating or shiveringTiredness, irritability, reduced appetiteDuring a febrile seizure: stiffening or jerking of arms and legs, eyes rolling, loss of awareness, usually lasting a few minutes
Home care · Prevention
Home care
✓Keep the child comfortable and offer plenty of fluids
✓Dress in light clothing; do not over-bundle
✓Paracetamol or (over 3 months) ibuprofen for discomfort, by weight — do not alternate the two routinely without advice
✓Do not sponge with cold water or alcohol
✓During a seizure: stay calm, place the child on their side on a safe surface, remove nearby hard objects, do NOT put anything in the mouth or restrain them, and time the seizure
Causes
Most often a viral or bacterial infection. Febrile seizures are linked to a rapid rise in temperature in genetically susceptible young children.
Prevention
•Keep routine vaccinations up to date to prevent the infections that cause fever
•Febrile seizures themselves cannot reliably be prevented; controlling fever does not guarantee prevention
See a doctor urgently if
•A seizure lasting longer than 5 minutes — call emergency services / go to hospital immediately
•Repeated seizures, or a seizure in a child who does not fully recover/wake up afterwards
•First-ever febrile seizure (should always be checked by a doctor)
•Any fever in a baby under 3 months
•Fever with a stiff neck, severe headache, bulging soft spot, or a rash that does not fade when pressed (glass test) — possible meningitis
•Difficulty breathing, blue lips, or the child is very floppy/unresponsive
•Fever lasting more than 3–5 days, or a very ill-looking child at any temperature
Ear Infection (Acute Otitis Media)
कान का संक्रमण
Infections
An infection of the middle ear, often following a cold, where fluid and germs build up behind the eardrum. It is one of the most common reasons young children see a doctor.
Usually affects: Common in infants & young children (peak 6 months–2 years)
Symptoms
Ear pain (babies may pull or tug at the ear)FeverIrritability and crying, poor sleepReduced hearingFluid or pus draining from the earReduced appetiteSometimes balance problems
Home care · Prevention
Home care
✓Paracetamol or (over 3 months) ibuprofen for pain and fever, by weight
✓Offer fluids and rest
✓A warm (not hot) cloth held against the ear may ease pain
✓Keep the ear dry; do not put cotton buds, oils or drops into the ear unless a doctor advises
✓See a doctor — many ear infections need assessment and some need antibiotics
Causes
Bacteria or viruses, usually spreading from the nose/throat during or after a cold.
Prevention
•Keep vaccines up to date (pneumococcal/PCV and flu vaccines reduce ear infections)
•Avoid tobacco smoke exposure
•Breastfeeding
•Feed babies semi-upright, not flat on their back with a bottle
•Treat colds and allergies promptly
See a doctor urgently if
•Swelling, redness or tenderness of the bone behind the ear (the ear may stick out) — possible mastoiditis, needs urgent care
•Severe ear pain or high fever, or a very unwell child
•Stiff neck, severe headache, or unusual drowsiness/confusion
•Fluid or pus draining from the ear, especially with high fever
•Facial weakness/drooping on one side
•Symptoms not improving after 2–3 days, or recurring frequently
•Any ear symptoms in a baby under 3 months with fever
Sore Throat / Tonsillitis
गले में खराश / टॉन्सिल का संक्रमण
Coughs & breathing
Inflammation of the throat and/or tonsils causing pain and difficulty swallowing. Most cases are viral; some are caused by bacteria (such as Streptococcus) and may need antibiotics.
Usually affects: Children of all ages; strep throat most common 5–15 years
Symptoms
Sore, scratchy throatPain on swallowingRed or swollen tonsils, sometimes with white/yellow patchesFeverSwollen, tender glands in the neckBad breathHeadache; younger children may have tummy ache or reduced appetite
Home care · Prevention
Home care
✓Offer plenty of fluids; cool, soft foods may be easier to swallow
✓Paracetamol or (over 3 months) ibuprofen for pain and fever, by weight
✓Warm salt-water gargles for older children who can do it safely
✓Rest
✓See a doctor if a bacterial cause (e.g. strep) is suspected — antibiotics may be needed and should be finished fully if prescribed
Causes
Usually viruses; sometimes bacteria (group A streptococcus). Spread by droplets and close contact.
Prevention
•Frequent handwashing
•Avoid sharing cups, utensils and food
•Keep away from people with active throat infections
•Cover coughs and sneezes
See a doctor urgently if
•Difficulty breathing, or noisy/whistling breathing
•Drooling or great difficulty swallowing, or inability to swallow saliva
•Difficulty opening the mouth, a muffled 'hot potato' voice, or one-sided severe throat swelling (possible abscess)
•Neck stiffness or swelling that is hot and tender
•Symptoms not improving after 3–4 days or getting worse
Pneumonia
निमोनिया
Coughs & breathing
An infection of the lungs that causes the small air sacs to fill with fluid or pus, making breathing hard. It is a leading cause of serious illness and death in young children worldwide, including India, so it must be taken seriously.
Usually affects: All children; most dangerous in infants & under-5s
Symptoms
Cough (may bring up phlegm)Fast or difficult breathingFeverChest in-drawing (skin pulling in under or between the ribs)Grunting or noisy breathingReduced feeding/appetiteTirednessSometimes chest or tummy pain
Home care · Prevention
Home care
✓Pneumonia needs prompt medical assessment — do not manage at home without a doctor
✓While arranging care: give fluids, keep the child comfortable, and treat fever with paracetamol by weight
✓If antibiotics are prescribed, give every dose and complete the full course
✓Keep the child away from smoke
Causes
Bacteria (e.g. pneumococcus) or viruses; often follows a cold or flu.
Prevention
•Pneumococcal (PCV) vaccine and Hib vaccine (both in India's Universal Immunisation Programme)
•Measles, whooping cough (DPT) and flu vaccines also help prevent pneumonia
•Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months
•Avoid indoor smoke and tobacco exposure
•Good handwashing and nutrition
See a doctor urgently if
•Fast breathing (a key WHO danger sign): roughly ≥60 breaths/min under 2 months, ≥50 from 2–12 months, ≥40 from 1–5 years — count breaths when calm
•Chest in-drawing (lower chest wall pulling IN as the child breathes) — sign of severe pneumonia, go to hospital
•Bluish lips, tongue or face
•Grunting, head nodding with breaths, or flaring nostrils
•Not able to drink or breastfeed, or vomiting everything
•Unusual drowsiness, very hard to wake, or a convulsion
•Any of these in a baby — seek emergency care immediately
Bronchiolitis
ब्रोंकियोलाइटिस
Coughs & breathing
A common viral chest infection in babies that inflames the smallest airways in the lungs, causing a cough and wheezy, fast breathing. It usually starts like a cold and is most common in the first 1–2 years of life.
Usually affects: Infants, especially under 1 year (most cases under 2)
Symptoms
Runny nose and cough at firstFast or wheezy breathingMild feverFeeding less than usualBrief pauses in breathing (in very young babies)Irritability and tiredness
Home care · Prevention
Home care
✓Offer small, frequent feeds; keep the baby hydrated
✓Use saline nose drops and gentle suction before feeds to clear the nose
✓Keep the baby upright a little when awake and comfortable
✓Paracetamol for fever/discomfort if over 2–3 months, by weight
✓Keep away from cigarette smoke
✓Antibiotics do NOT help (it is viral); cough/cold medicines are not for babies
Causes
Viruses, most commonly respiratory syncytial virus (RSV); spread by droplets and contact.
Prevention
•Frequent handwashing and keeping babies away from people with colds
•Avoid tobacco smoke
•Breastfeeding
•RSV protection (immunisation/monoclonal antibody) where available and advised
See a doctor urgently if
•Difficulty breathing: fast breathing, skin sucking in under/between the ribs, grunting, or nostrils flaring
•Bluish or grey lips, tongue or skin — call emergency services
•Long pauses in breathing (apnoea)
•Feeding less than about half normal over 2–3 feeds, or no wet nappy for 12 hours
•Very drowsy, floppy, or hard to wake
•Worsening over time, or a baby under 3 months, premature, or with heart/lung conditions
Asthma / Viral Wheeze
दमा / अस्थमा (साँस की घरघराहट)
Coughs & breathing
A condition where the airways become narrow and inflamed, causing wheezing, coughing and breathlessness. In young children, wheezing is often triggered by viral colds; some children have ongoing asthma that needs regular management.
Usually affects: Viral wheeze: toddlers/preschoolers. Asthma: can persist through childhood
Symptoms
Wheezing (a whistling sound when breathing out)Cough, often worse at night or with activityShortness of breath or fast breathingChest tightnessSymptoms triggered by colds, smoke, dust, cold air, pollen or exercise
Home care · Prevention
Home care
✓Follow the doctor's written asthma action plan and give prescribed inhalers (use a spacer/face mask for young children)
✓Give reliever inhaler (e.g. salbutamol) as directed at the first sign of wheeze
✓Avoid known triggers, especially tobacco smoke
✓Keep regular preventer medicine going even when the child seems well, if prescribed
✓Keep the child calm and sitting upright during mild symptoms
Causes
Airway inflammation and tightening; triggered by viral infections, allergens, smoke and irritants. Tends to run in families with allergy/eczema.
Prevention
•Identify and avoid triggers (smoke, dust mites, strong smells)
•Take preventer medication regularly as prescribed
•Keep flu and other vaccines up to date
•Manage allergies; maintain a smoke-free home
See a doctor urgently if
•Reliever inhaler not helping, or needed more often than prescribed
•Too breathless to talk, eat, or complete sentences
•Fast or hard breathing, ribs sucking in, or working hard to breathe
•Bluish lips or face — call emergency services immediately
•Silent chest (wheeze stops but child is struggling), exhaustion, or drowsiness
•Any severe attack — seek emergency care; do not wait
Dengue
डेंगू
Mosquito-borne
A viral illness spread by day-biting Aedes mosquitoes, common in India especially during and after the monsoon. Most children recover, but a small number develop severe dengue, which is a medical emergency.
Usually affects: All children; severe disease risk in any age
Symptoms
High fever (often sudden)Severe headache and pain behind the eyesMuscle, bone and joint pain ('breakbone' aches)Nausea and vomitingSkin rashTirednessMild bleeding (e.g. nose or gums)
Home care · Prevention
Home care
✓Give plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration
✓Use ONLY paracetamol for fever and pain, by weight
✓Do NOT give aspirin, ibuprofen or other NSAIDs (they increase bleeding risk)
✓Encourage rest and monitor closely
✓Watch especially carefully in the 24–48 hours after the fever drops — this is when severe dengue can develop
✓Have the child reviewed by a doctor; blood counts may need monitoring
Causes
Dengue virus, transmitted by the bite of infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes (which bite mainly in daytime).
•Remove standing water (coolers, pots, tyres, containers) where Aedes mosquitoes breed
•Use mosquito control measures around the home
•A dengue vaccine exists but its use depends on age and prior infection — discuss with a doctor
See a doctor urgently if
•Severe or continuous abdominal (tummy) pain
•Persistent vomiting (3+ times in 24 hours) or vomiting blood
•Bleeding from the nose or gums, blood in vomit or stool, or new bruising/red spots
•Black, tarry stools
•Fast or difficult breathing
•Cold, clammy or pale skin; cold hands and feet
•Extreme restlessness, irritability, drowsiness, or a child who is very tired/lethargic
•Markedly reduced urine, or no urine
•Any warning sign — especially as the fever subsides — go to hospital immediately
Typhoid (Enteric Fever)
टाइफाइड (मियादी बुखार)
Infections
A bacterial infection causing prolonged high fever, spread through food and water contaminated with the bacteria. It is common in parts of India and needs antibiotic treatment.
Usually affects: School-age children especially; can affect any age
Symptoms
Prolonged, steadily rising high feverHeadacheWeakness and tirednessStomach painLoss of appetiteConstipation or sometimes diarrhoeaSometimes a faint rash ('rose spots')Enlarged spleen/liver (found by a doctor)
Home care · Prevention
Home care
✓Typhoid needs a doctor and prescribed antibiotics — complete the full course even after the child feels better
✓Give plenty of fluids and ORS to prevent dehydration
✓Offer soft, easily digestible food and encourage eating
✓Paracetamol for fever by weight
✓Maintain strict hand and food hygiene to avoid spreading it to others
Causes
Salmonella Typhi (and Paratyphi) bacteria, spread via contaminated food and water (faecal–oral route).
Prevention
•Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV) — recommended for children (IAP advises from 6–9 months onward)
•Safe drinking water (boiled/filtered) and good sanitation
•Thorough handwashing before eating and after toilet
•Eat freshly cooked, hot food; wash fruits/vegetables; avoid unsafe street food and water
See a doctor urgently if
•Severe abdominal pain, a rigid or very swollen belly (possible intestinal perforation) — emergency
•Blood in the stool or black, tarry stools (intestinal bleeding)
•Confusion, extreme drowsiness, delirium or unresponsiveness
•Persistent vomiting or inability to keep fluids down; signs of dehydration
•Very high fever that is not improving on treatment
•Difficulty breathing or a very unwell child
•A convulsion
Chickenpox (Varicella)
छोटी माता / चेचक
Infections
A very contagious viral infection causing an itchy, blistering rash all over the body along with fever. It is usually mild in healthy children but can occasionally cause complications.
Usually affects: Most common in children under 10; any unvaccinated age
Symptoms
Itchy rash that turns into small fluid-filled blisters, then crusts/scabsSpots appear in crops, so different stages are present at onceFeverTiredness and reduced appetiteHeadacheRash often starts on the chest/back/face then spreads
Home care · Prevention
Home care
✓Keep nails short and discourage scratching to prevent skin infection and scarring
✓Calamine lotion or cool baths (oatmeal baths) to soothe itching
✓Antihistamines for itch only if advised by a doctor
✓Give plenty of fluids; soft foods if there are mouth blisters
✓Use ONLY paracetamol for fever — avoid ibuprofen/NSAIDs in chickenpox (linked to skin complications) and never aspirin (Reye's syndrome)
✓Keep the child home until all blisters have crusted over to avoid spreading it
Causes
Varicella-zoster virus; spreads very easily through the air and by contact with the blisters.
Prevention
•Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine
•Keep infected children away from others until blisters crust over
•Especially keep away from newborns, pregnant women and people with weak immune systems
See a doctor urgently if
•A blister/area that becomes red, hot, swollen, very painful or oozing pus (skin infection)
•High or persistent fever, or fever returning after a few days
•Difficulty breathing or a persistent cough
•Severe headache, stiff neck, repeated vomiting, confusion, drowsiness, unsteadiness or a seizure
•Rash near or in the eyes with eye pain
•Newborns, pregnant contacts, or children with weak immunity who are exposed — seek advice urgently
•Refusing to drink / signs of dehydration
Measles
खसरा
Infections
A highly contagious viral illness with fever and a widespread rash. Measles can be serious — it can lead to pneumonia, severe diarrhoea, brain inflammation and death — but it is preventable by vaccination.
Usually affects: Mainly young, unvaccinated children; any unvaccinated age
Symptoms
High feverCough, runny nose and red, watery eyes (the '3 Cs')Tiny white spots inside the mouth (Koplik spots)Red-brown blotchy rash starting on the face/behind the ears, spreading down the bodyTiredness and irritabilityReduced appetite
Home care · Prevention
Home care
✓Plenty of fluids and rest
✓Paracetamol or (over 3 months) ibuprofen for fever, by weight
✓Vitamin A is given by health workers in measles cases (per WHO) — see a doctor about this
✓Keep the child away from others (especially unvaccinated people, babies and pregnant women)
✓Keep the room comfortable; dim light may help sore eyes
✓Always have a child with suspected measles seen by a doctor
Causes
Measles virus; spreads extremely easily through the air (coughing, sneezing) and lingers in the air.
Prevention
•Measles vaccine — MR/MMR (in India given as MR doses under the Universal Immunisation Programme); two doses give strong protection
•Keep infected children isolated
•Ensure community vaccination coverage
See a doctor urgently if
•Fast or difficult breathing, chest in-drawing, or bluish lips (possible pneumonia)
•Drowsiness, confusion, severe headache, stiff neck or a seizure (possible brain inflammation)
•Severe diarrhoea or signs of dehydration
•Severe eye pain or vision changes
•Ear pain or discharge
•Not able to drink/feed, or a very unwell child
•High fever that keeps rising or returns after the rash, or any worsening — seek care urgently
Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease
हैंड-फुट-माउथ रोग
Infections
A common, usually mild viral infection of young children causing mouth ulcers and a rash or blisters on the hands and feet. It clears up on its own in about a week to ten days.
Usually affects: Mainly infants and children under 5
Symptoms
Fever, often firstSore throat and painful mouth ulcersSmall blisters/spots on the palms, soles, and sometimes buttocks/legsReduced appetite (mouth pain makes eating/drinking uncomfortable)Tiredness and irritability
Home care · Prevention
Home care
✓Offer plenty of cool fluids in small frequent sips to prevent dehydration (mouth pain reduces drinking)
✓Soft, cool foods; avoid spicy, salty or acidic foods
✓Paracetamol or (over 3 months) ibuprofen for pain and fever, by weight
✓Good hand hygiene; do not burst the blisters
✓Keep the child home while feverish/unwell to limit spread
✓Antibiotics do not help (it is viral)
Causes
Enteroviruses (commonly coxsackievirus); spreads through saliva, blister fluid, stool and contaminated surfaces.
Prevention
•Frequent handwashing, especially after nappy changes and before food
•Disinfect shared toys and surfaces
•Avoid close contact while contagious
•Teach children not to share cups/utensils
See a doctor urgently if
•Signs of dehydration: not drinking, no wet nappy for 8–12 hours, no tears, very drowsy
•Refusing all fluids because of mouth pain
•High or persistent fever, or fever lasting more than 3 days
•Unusual drowsiness, a stiff neck, severe headache, or a seizure
•Difficulty breathing
•A baby under 3 months with fever
•Rash that becomes infected (very red, swollen, pus)
Intestinal Worms (Soil-Transmitted Helminths)
पेट के कीड़े
Infections
Parasitic worms (roundworm, whipworm, hookworm) that live in the gut after a child swallows eggs from contaminated soil, food or water, or through skin contact with contaminated soil. Common in India; heavy infection can cause anaemia and poor growth.
Usually affects: Pre-school and school-age children especially
Symptoms
Often no symptoms with light infectionTummy painLoss of appetite or poor weight gainTiredness and pallor (from anaemia)Itching around the anus (especially with pinworms)Sometimes worms visible in stoolDiarrhoea or nausea with heavier infection
Home care · Prevention
Home care
✓Deworming medicine (e.g. albendazole) as advised by a doctor or given during National Deworming Day
✓Iron-rich foods and treat anaemia as advised
✓Wash hands well before eating and after toilet; trim and clean nails
✓Wash bedding and underclothes in hot water if pinworms are present
Causes
Soil-transmitted helminths — eggs/larvae from soil contaminated with human faeces; entry by swallowing eggs (unwashed food/hands) or larvae penetrating skin (bare feet for hookworm).
Prevention
•Routine deworming (India's National Deworming Day, twice yearly) for children 1–19 years
•Handwashing with soap before eating and after toilet
•Use of toilets/safe sanitation and avoiding open defecation
•Wear shoes outdoors; keep nails short
•Safe water and washing/cooking food properly
See a doctor urgently if
•Severe tummy pain or a swollen, hard belly
•Persistent vomiting, or vomiting up a worm
•Blood in stool, or black tarry stools
•Marked pallor, breathlessness or extreme tiredness (severe anaemia)
•Significant weight loss or failure to grow
•Passing a large worm, or worms causing a blockage (no stool/gas with vomiting and pain)
Newborn Jaundice
नवजात शिशु का पीलिया
Newborn
A yellow colouring of a newborn's skin and eyes caused by a build-up of bilirubin in the blood. Mild jaundice is very common in the first week and usually harmless, but high levels need treatment to protect the brain.
Usually affects: Newborns (first days to weeks of life)
Symptoms
Yellow tinge to the skin, usually starting on the face/eyes and spreading downYellowing of the whites of the eyesYellowing reaching the tummy, arms or legs (or palms/soles) suggests higher levelsSleepiness or poor feeding in more significant casesDark urine or pale stools (with certain causes)
Home care · Prevention
Home care
✓Feed frequently (breastfeed 8–12 times a day) to help clear bilirubin
✓Ensure the baby is feeding well and having enough wet/dirty nappies
✓Have jaundice levels checked by a health worker as advised, especially in the first week
✓Do NOT rely on home sunlight exposure as a treatment; follow medical advice
✓Attend follow-up visits — newborns sent home early should be checked within about 2 days
Causes
Usually a normal immaturity of the newborn liver ('physiological jaundice'); also breastfeeding-related, blood group incompatibility, infection, or other liver/blood conditions.
Prevention
•Frequent, effective feeding from birth
•Early bilirubin screening and timely follow-up after discharge
•Identify at-risk babies (e.g. blood-group incompatibility) early
•Phototherapy when prescribed prevents dangerous levels
See a doctor urgently if
•Jaundice appearing within the first 24 hours of life — never normal, seek care immediately
•Yellowing of the palms of the hands or soles of the feet, or deepening/spreading yellow colour
•A baby who is very sleepy, hard to wake, floppy, or feeding poorly
•High-pitched crying, arching of the body, stiffness or fits
Inflammation of the thin membrane covering the white of the eye and inner eyelid, making the eye red, watery and sometimes sticky. It can be caused by infection or allergy and is usually mild, but spreads easily.
Usually affects: All ages (newborn conjunctivitis needs special urgent care)
Symptoms
Red or pink eye(s)Watery or sticky discharge; lashes may stick together after sleepItching or a gritty feelingMild swelling of the eyelidsSensitivity to lightOften starts in one eye then spreads to the other
Home care · Prevention
Home care
✓Gently wipe away discharge with clean cotton wool and cooled boiled water, from inner to outer corner, using a fresh piece each time
✓Wash hands often and avoid touching/rubbing the eyes
✓Use separate towels and don't share them
✓Cool or warm compresses can soothe
✓Remove contact lenses (if worn) until fully better
✓See a doctor if bacterial infection is suspected or it is not improving — drops may be needed
Causes
Viruses or bacteria (contagious), or allergies (not contagious). Spreads by touching the eyes and contaminated hands/towels.
Prevention
•Frequent handwashing; avoid rubbing eyes
•Don't share towels, pillows, eye makeup or eye drops
•Keep child home from school/daycare while infectious as advised
•Avoid known allergens for allergic conjunctivitis
See a doctor urgently if
•Conjunctivitis in a newborn/baby in the first weeks of life — see a doctor urgently
•Eye pain (not just irritation), or marked sensitivity to light
•Reduced or blurred vision
•Intense redness, or redness with severe swelling of the eyelids/around the eye
•A fixed, enlarged or cloudy area on the eye, or the pupil looks different
•High fever or a very unwell child
•Symptoms after an eye injury or chemical splash, or not improving in a few days
Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis)
एक्ज़िमा / खुजली वाली त्वचा
Skin
A common long-term skin condition that makes the skin dry, itchy and inflamed, with flare-ups and calmer periods. It is not contagious and often improves as a child grows; it tends to run in families with allergies or asthma.
Usually affects: Often starts in infancy/early childhood
Symptoms
Dry, itchy skinRed or discoloured, inflamed patches (often on cheeks in babies; in skin creases — elbows, knees, neck — in older children)Rough, scaly or thickened skin from scratchingSometimes weeping, crusting or small bumpsDisturbed sleep from itching
Home care · Prevention
Home care
✓Apply plenty of fragrance-free moisturiser (emollient) several times a day, especially after bathing
✓Short, lukewarm (not hot) baths; pat dry and moisturise within minutes
✓Use gentle, soap-free, fragrance-free cleansers
✓Dress in soft cotton; avoid wool and overheating
✓Keep nails short; consider cotton mittens for babies to limit scratching damage
✓Use prescribed steroid creams correctly during flare-ups as directed
✓Identify and avoid personal triggers
Causes
A sensitive skin barrier plus an overactive immune response; triggered by soaps, heat/sweat, dryness, certain fabrics, allergens and infections. Genetic tendency.
•Signs of skin infection: weeping, yellow crusting, pus, increasing redness, warmth, swelling or pain
•Widespread tiny blisters or punched-out sores, especially with fever (possible eczema herpeticum) — seek urgent care
•Fever with a worsening, painful rash
•Eczema not improving with usual treatment, or severe enough to disturb sleep, feeding or daily life
•A child who seems generally unwell with the skin flare
Ringworm (Tinea)
दाद
Skin
A common, contagious fungal infection of the skin, scalp or nails — despite the name, no worm is involved. It typically causes a round, red, itchy patch with a clearer centre.
Usually affects: All children; scalp ringworm common in young school-age kids
Symptoms
Ring-shaped red/discoloured, scaly patch with a raised edge and clearer middleItchingOn the scalp: scaly patches with hair loss or broken hairsOn the feet (athlete's foot): itchy, cracked, peeling skin between toesPatches may slowly enlarge
Home care · Prevention
Home care
✓Apply an antifungal cream as directed and continue for the full recommended time (often 1–2 weeks beyond clearing)
✓Scalp ringworm usually needs oral antifungal medicine from a doctor — creams alone are not enough
✓Keep the area clean and dry
✓Do not share towels, combs, hats, clothing or bedding; wash them in hot water
✓Check and treat pets and other infected family members
✓Discourage scratching to prevent spread and skin infection
Causes
Dermatophyte fungi; spread by skin-to-skin contact, sharing towels/combs/clothes, and from infected pets or contaminated soil; thrives in warm, damp conditions.
Prevention
•Keep skin clean and dry; dry well after bathing and between toes
•Don't share personal items (towels, combs, clothes)
•Wear sandals in communal showers/pools
•Treat infected pets and household contacts
•Wash sports gear and avoid sharing it
See a doctor urgently if
•Scalp involvement, hair loss, or a tender, boggy, pus-filled scalp swelling (kerion) — needs a doctor
•Patches that are spreading widely or not improving after 2 weeks of antifungal cream
•Signs of bacterial infection: increasing redness, warmth, swelling, pain or pus
•Fever with a worsening skin lesion
•Ringworm in a child with a weak immune system
•Nail involvement (usually needs oral treatment)
Constipation
कब्ज़
Tummy & digestion
Difficulty passing stools, or hard, infrequent or painful poos. It is very common in children, often around toilet training or diet changes, and is usually not serious — but can become a cycle if a child withholds stool because passing it hurts.
Usually affects: All ages; common in toddlers and around toilet training
Symptoms
Hard, dry or pellet-like stools, or very large stoolsFewer than usual bowel movements (e.g. fewer than 3 a week)Pain or straining when passing stool; crying or holding backTummy pain or a hard tummyReduced appetiteOccasional streaks of blood on hard stoolSoiling/leakage of soft stool (overflow) in long-standing cases
Home care · Prevention
Home care
✓Offer more fluids (water) through the day
✓Increase fibre: fruits, vegetables, whole grains and pulses appropriate for age
✓For older babies on solids, offer fruit purées (e.g. prune, pear); for younger infants follow doctor's advice
✓Encourage regular, relaxed toilet sitting (e.g. after meals) with a footstool for support
✓Encourage physical activity/play
✓Use laxatives only if and as a doctor advises; avoid adult remedies
✓Stay calm and positive around toileting — avoid pressure or punishment
Causes
Low fibre or fluid intake, withholding stool (often after a painful poo), toilet-training stress, changes in routine/diet; rarely an underlying medical cause.
Prevention
•Adequate fluids and a fibre-rich diet
•Regular, unhurried toilet habits and a relaxed approach to training
•Encourage daily physical activity
•Don't delay/ignore the urge to go
•Treat painful episodes early to avoid a withholding cycle
See a doctor urgently if
•No stool (or very little) plus a swollen, hard, painful belly with vomiting — possible blockage, seek urgent care
•Vomiting that is green/bile-stained
•Significant blood in the stool, or black tarry stools
•Constipation in a newborn/young baby, especially if not passing the first stool (meconium) in the first 1–2 days of life
•Constipation with poor weight gain, persistent severe tummy pain, or a very unwell child
•Weakness or numbness in the legs, or problems passing urine
•Constipation that does not improve with home care, or that is severe or recurring
