During the summer, parents often encounter situations with their children that cause concern, whether it’s a fever, a tick bite, sunburn, an upset stomach, or a minor injury. The Estonian Society of Family Physicians and the Estonian Health Insurance Fund remind parents that a child’s behavior and overall well-being can help assess the severity of a health concern.
To support parents, family physicians and the Estonian Health Insurance Fund have collaborated to create a summer health guide that offers advice on how to alleviate minor health concerns and helps determine when to seek assistance from a healthcare professional.
According to Dr. Piret Rospu, a family physician at the Tabasalu Family Medicine Center, it is important for parents to have the confidence to help their child at home with minor health concerns, as well as the ability to recognize warning signs.
“With a child, it’s not enough to look at just one symptom—you have to consider the child as a whole. If the child is active, interested in their surroundings, drinking, urinating, responding normally, and their condition isn’t getting worse, in many cases you can start by providing care at home and monitoring them calmly. However, if the child is breathing heavily, is very lethargic or difficult to wake up, is having seizures, or their condition is rapidly worsening, you must definitely consult a doctor or nurse,” said Rospu.
The newly published guide provides parents with a simple overview of how to handle the most common summer health concerns, such as fever, sunburn, and heat exhaustion; falls; tick and insect bites; and vomiting and diarrhea.
The guide is structured around three steps: help your child at home, seek advice, and seek emergency care. For each health concern, the guide outlines what parents can do themselves, when to seek advice from a healthcare professional, and when emergency care is needed.
According to Liis Kruus, the Health Insurance Fund’s primary care portfolio manager, the goal of the health guide is to give parents a sense of security and help them respond calmly when a health concern arises.
“When a child gets sick or is injured, it can cause anxiety for parents. We want parents to have a handy guide for such situations. For minor health concerns, parents can get initial advice on symptom relief and over-the-counter medications at a pharmacy. If the situation is not life-threatening but the parent is unsure what to do, we encourage them to seek advice from a family health center or the family doctor’s helpline at 1220. In the event of a rapidly worsening or life-threatening condition, do not hesitate: call 112 or go to the emergency department,” said Kruus.
Call 112 or go to the emergency room (EMO) if your child has:
- difficulty breathing
- altered consciousness or is difficult to wake up
- seizures
- severe or rapidly worsening pain
- severe bleeding or serious trauma
- a severe allergic reaction (difficulty breathing, swelling of the face or tongue)
- signs of dehydration (no urine or very little urine in the last 8–12 hours, or in infants under one year of age in the last 8 hours; no tears when crying; dry mouth; or a feeling of thirst in older children)
- a rapidly worsening condition
If the situation is not life-threatening but you need advice: contact your family health center, call the family doctor’s advice line at 1220, or ask a pharmacist for advice.
Find out more about where to turn to with your health concerns.