It’s a normal Tuesday afternoon, and you’re playing happily with your one-year-old. They’re giggling away while you make funny faces in an attempt to entertain them. Everything is going so well!

That is, until you turn your head for just a moment to reach for a cuddly toy. All of a sudden, you hear a loud ‘bang!’

You whip your head around, and your little one is in floods of tears, screaming their head off. They’ve hit their heads on a pile of books, which are now spread across the floor.

What do you do?

When it comes to their baby’s health, most parents hate the thought of their little one having an injury as small as tripping, falling, or even grazing their knee. And although your baby becoming ill or hurting themselves in some way isn’t a pleasant thought for any parent, being informed and knowing what to do in these situations is vital.

So, before we define different situations in which you should call an ambulance or a doctor, let’s dive into just why it’s so important to know when to call upon them in the first place.

Why is it important to know when to call an ambulance or doctor?

Your baby’s health is absolutely paramount. And while there are some illnesses and ailments (like colds and flu) that can be dealt with easily at home, there are others that require a doctor’s input.

In addition, knowing the difference between when to call the doctor and when to call an ambulance is important. Many families will call an ambulance out of panic when all they really needed to do was make a routine appointment. Having this information will allow you to do what’s best for your baby without wasting the time of either the doctor or emergency services.

So, when exactly should you call an ambulance or a doctor?

You should call an ambulance if:

Your baby is choking, and you can’t remove the object.

Your baby is unconscious.

Your baby is having a fit.

Your baby has a purple-red rash anywhere on their body. This could potentially be meningitis. A way to test for this is if the rash doesn’t disappear when pressing a glass tumbler over it.

Your baby is clearly having difficulty breathing. Signs of this will include flaring nostrils, blue lips, irregular breathing, deep indentations of the chest when breathing, sweating while feeding, and an inability to finish feeding.

You should call a doctor if:

Your baby appears very fussy, irritable, or unusually sleepy.

Your baby is not feeding properly, or they’re feeding differently from the way they normally do.

Your baby is crying in an unusual, high-pitched way.

Although parents who make appointments with a doctor will usually not have urgent reasons for the visit, you should arrange to see your doctor as soon as possible if your baby:

Has a high temperature—higher than 38.5 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit). Remember, if their temperature isn’t responding to paracetamol, then they need to see a doctor as soon as possible.

Is vomiting more frequently than normal or in a forceful manner, and is less than 3 months old. In comparison, when a baby spits up, this is completely normal. If they are vomiting in an unusual manner, look out for signs of diarrhoea at the same time, as this is a cause for concern.

Is having unusually frequent and watery poos. You can consider moderate diarrhoea to be about three loose poos in the space of a twelve-hour window.

Has blood in their poop.

Has developed a cough with noisy breathing.

Is showing signs of dehydration. This can include dark, yellow urine, a dry mouth, a sunken fontanel, and a dry nappy for six to eight hours.

Is showing signs of jaundice. This can take the form of a yellowish or tanned look to the skin and the white area of the eyes.

When should I call an ambulance or doctor?

From Unii’s Baby Health Journey, we look at when you should call for medical help for your child.