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This section is not meant to be the definitive answer for the treatment and care of childhood illnesses. It is meant to be an informative guide to recognising the common signs and symptoms associated with the medical conditions. There is no substitute for a doctor (GP), so if any child you are involved with becomes unwell and exhibits unfamiliar signs and symptoms, contact the family GP or the ambulance service immediately.

Most common childhood diseases are preventable, and prophylactic measures in the form of immunisation are readily available. Unfortunately, incidents of some of the more serious diseases such as Whooping Cough and Measles/Rubella are on the increase because some children in the ‘at risk’ age group are not being inoculated against the diseases.

There are many social reasons why some children are not immunised, but few ‘reasons’ provide comfort to a child infected with a potentially fatal disease. It is true that there is a risk of a tiny percentage of children having an adverse reaction to certain inoculations. However, the risk of serious illness by not immunising children against diseases is far greater. If you are unsure about immunisation and have any misgivings, contact your GP or your local children’s medical health facility for advice.

Bronchiolitis Bronchiolitis is a chest condition caused by an infection by a virus causing a persistent inflammation of the bronchial tree (air passages) of the lungs, and often occurs in infants in the first year of life and it usually happens in winter. Bronchiolitis gets better in a week to ten days. While not life-threatening, some children develop asthma after having bronchiolitis.

• dry cough
• slight fever (approx. 38oc)
• mild chest discomfort
• wheezing
• uncomfortable respirations

• give lots of fluids, such as an extra bottle or two per day, or give more frequent breastfeeds. Feeding may be difficult, so try offering smaller feeds more often
• medication is not very effective, so consult your doctor if your child has difficulty with breathing, feeding or sleeping.

Chickenpox (Varicella) Chickenpox is very contagious. It is a viral disease, usually mild in children. It can be more serious in adults. Complications from the disease are rare, and are usually restricted to infections of the Chickenpox blisters.

• mild fever (38-40oc)
• illness for 1 or 2 days
• skin eruptions or blisters that appear anywhere on the body, including:
  • mouth
  • nose
  • penis
  • vagina
  • head

Limbs are least affected. The blisters form scabs after 24 hours, and new blisters appear every 2 – 3 days.

• the application of cool compresses reduces the ‘itchiness’ of the blisters and discourages scratching by the child.
• contact your GP or local child health centre for advice.

A vaccine has been developed to prevent Chickenpox.


Measles The common form of measles is a serious viral illness that infects the skin and, more importantly, the respiratory tract.

Measles is highly contagious, and can be fatal to those communities that have no historical immunity, such as the indigenous population. The incubation period is 7-12 days after exposure, and possible complications associated with the disease are pneumonia, meningitis or encephalitis. Measles is becoming more common in the community after a period of low incidence.

• fever (39oc+)
• sneezing
• runny nose
• harsh, hacking, dry cough
• red eyes sensitive to light
• white spots in the mouth and throat
• red rash spreading from the ears and forehead to the rest of the body

• contact your GP for treatment and advice
• encourage the child not to watch TV or read as this exacerbates the child’s sensitivity to light and makes the eyes irritable
• keep constant observation of the child’s temperature.

A vaccine against measles is available and recommended for children between 12 and 15 months. It is combined with the mumps and rubella vaccines.

German Measles (Rubella) Rubella is a viral illness, usually mild in onset. The danger with this illness is in the spread to pregnant women. A woman who contracts rubella in the first 3 or 4 months of pregnancy is at risk of giving rise to severe defects in the unborn child. Rubella is preventable by immunisation, and all non-pregnant females of child-bearing age should be immunised.

• slight fever
• muscle aches
• stiff neck, fatigue
• slight red rash on the child’s head and body after 2-3 days
• swollen neck lymph glands

• contact your GP for advice.
• ensure that your child does not have known contact with pregnant women.

The child usually recovers within a week.

Tonsillitis (Pharyngitis) Tonsillitis is the inflammation of the lymph tissue at the back of the throat. Tonsils are at their largest, and most susceptible to infection, between the ages of 4 years and puberty. There are many possible, highly contagious, bacterial and viral causes of tonsillitis.

• pain in the throat
• difficulty swallowing
• chills
• fever (40oc or greater)
• swollen glands above the jaw
• headache, earache
• cough (rarely)

Contact your GP or child health centre for advice. Some infections indicate that antibiotics may be required. Repeated bouts of tonsillitis may necessitate surgery to remove the tonsils.