When to get urgent medical help for babies and children under 5

Immediate action required: Call 999 or go to A&E if:

A baby or child under 5 years old:

has swollen lips, tongue or throat with difficulty swallowing or talking
is breathing very fast or has difficulty breathing – they may make grunting noises or suck in their tummy when they breathe
has blue, grey, pale or blotchy (mottled) skin, lips or tongue – on black or brown skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of their hands or soles of their feet
has skin that feels cold or damp (clammy) to touch
has a rash that does not fade when you press it
has a very high temperature – 38C or higher in babies under 3 months old, or 39C or higher in babies 3 to 6 months old
has a very low temperature – less than 36C, or feels cold to touch or is shivery
has a weak, high-pitched or continuous cry
has fainted, is difficult to wake, or cannot be woken
has not had a pee in the past 12 hours
is having a seizure (fit)

Important: Trust your instincts

Get immediate medical help if your child is unwell and you think there's something seriously wrong.

Keep checking for new or changing symptoms when they’re unwell, even during the night.

Urgent advice: Call NHS 111 if:

you’re worried about any of your child’s symptoms or do not know what to do

Signs of serious illness in babies and young children

There are some symptoms that can be a sign your baby or young child is seriously unwell with an infection or condition that needs urgent medical help.

They do not need to have every symptom to be seriously unwell.

A high temperature (fever)

A high temperature is 38C or higher. It may not be a sign of serious illness if your child does not have any other symptoms.

However, there are times when a high temperature suggests something may be seriously wrong, such as when a child is:

under 3 months old and has a temperature of 38C or higher
3 to 6 months old and has a temperature of 39C or higher (and they have not had a vaccine in the past 2 days)
3 months to 5 years old and has a temperature of 38C or higher for more than 5 days

Find out more

A low temperature

A temperature lower than 36C can be a sign of serious illness in babies and young children.

A child with a very low temperature may:

shiver or feel cold to touch, with dry skin
be unusually tired, confused, quiet, sleepy or not respond
breathe slowly or take little breaths

If a thermometer shows your child's temperature is lower than 36C, check 2 more times within 10 minutes to make sure.

Find out more:

How to take your baby's temperature

Rashes and skin changes

Skin changes can be a sign of serious illness in babies and young children if:

they look paler than usual, or their skin looks blue, grey, yellow or blotchy (mottled) – on black and brown skin this may be easier to see on the palms or their hands, soles of their feet, lips or inside their cheek
their lips, tongue or inside their mouth looks swollen
they have a spotty or patchy red, purple or brown rash that does not fade when you press it
a rash has become worse, or the skin around their rash looks red, swollen or feels hot to touch – redness may be harder to see on brown or black skin
their skin is peeling or blistered, but they do not have chickenpox or sunburn
the soft areas on your baby’s head (fontanelles) look swollen or are bulging

Baby's face with skin that's slightly blue around their mouth, nose and eyes. Shown on white skin. — An example of skin appearing blue or grey.

The shoulder and chin of a baby with white skin. Their skin is mottled with a purple and white patchy pattern like lace. — An example of skin that appears blotchy (mottled) with a pattern that looks like lace.

Legs with a flat, spotty, red rash that's darker in some areas. Shown on white skin. — An example of white skin with a red, spotty or patchy rash that does not fade when you press it firmly.

A purple, patchy rash shown on medium brown skin. — An example of medium brown skin with a purple to brown spotty and patchy rash that does not fade when you pressed it firmly.

Foot with a red swollen spot on the second toe with redness spreading out across the top of the foot. Shown on white skin. — An example of skin that's red, swollen or feels hot to touch.

The left leg of a baby with peeling skin. The skin under the peeling skin is pink. Shown on white skin. — An example of peeling skin on a baby's leg that is not caused by chickenpox or sunburn.

Breathing problems

Breathing problems can be a sign of serious illness if your child is:

working hard to breathe – they may suck in their tummy or chest, nod their head or flare their nostrils
pausing when breathing, or their breathing is irregular
making grunting noises as they breathe (very young babies may make a bleating sound like a lamb)
breathing very fast
making a high-pitched or wheezing sound when they breathe
unable to talk, eat or drink without stopping for a breath

Behaviour and movement changes

Changes to behaviour and movement can be a sign of serious illness if your child:

is floppy
is difficult to wake or will not wake up (unconscious)
shows no interest in anything around them or does not respond like they usually would
has a seizure or fit
has a weak, high-pitched or continuous cry
is unable to settle or seems very agitated
has a stiff neck or cannot turn their head
is not using an arm, leg, hand or foot normally
has any joints that feel hot or swollen

Eating, drinking, peeing and pooing changes

Changes to your child’s eating, drinking, feeding, peeing and pooing can be a sign of serious illness if your child:

is a baby and is not feeding
has not had a drink in the past 8 hours when they've been awake
keeps being sick (vomiting) for 24 hours
has red, black or brown vomit
has very smelly pee or they’re peeing often
has had no wet nappies or has not peed for at least 12 hours
has not had a poo for around 3 days and has a swollen tummy, tummy pain, or they're straining or bleeding from their bottom when trying to poo