7 signs of illness in children

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Parents and caregivers can usually tell when their children are not well. Because children with HIV can become very ill very quickly, pay close attention to signs of illness.

By understanding what 7 main signs of illness mean, you may be able to find the cause of the problem and act on it.

If a child with HIV has any of these problems, she needs your care and attention. If any one problem is severe, or if she has 2 or 3 problems, she needs medical help. The “Quick reference for health problems” on the next two pages can tell you where to find out more.

If it is not difficult you to go to a clinic or hospital, it may be best to take a child with HIV for medical help whenever he is ill. Talk to the health workers about the signs of illness you see in your child, when to come in, and when to manage care at home.

Until you can get to a clinic or hospital, or even if you cannot go at all, there are still things you can do to help your child. This chapter can help you treat some illnesses, and so can your family, friends, and neighbors. Reach out for support, particularly to other people who have experience with children who have HIV.

Diarrhea with dehydration	Little or no urine, or very dark urine Dry mouth or thirst A sunken soft spot on baby’s head Sunken and tearless eyes Sudden weight loss	Diarrhea, dehydration, and vomiting.
Diarrhea with blood or pus in stool, but no fever	No fever Parts of diarrhea look red, black or very dark brown (might be blood) Parts of diarrhea look yellow (might be pus)	Dysentery.
Diarrhea with blood or pus in stool, with fever	Fever Stools are more watery Parts of diarrhea look red, black, or very dark brown (blood) or yellow (pus)	Shigella and other bacterial infections.
Diarrhea is yellow and bubbly	No fever Stools are very smelly Swollen belly and discomfort	Giardia.
Diarrhea with vomiting	Frequent vomiting Forceful vomiting	Virus or unclean water.
Diarrhea with vomiting and fever	Frequent vomiting High fever	Virus or cholera.

Boiling water makes it safe to drink and prevents diarrhea.

huh... huh... huh...

Difficulty breathing and cough

Breathing problems are more serious when the child also has other signs:

Breathing problems and fever	May cough up yellow or green mucus May not want to eat	Pneumonia, or colds and flu.
Cough with fever for more than 1 week	A baby does not gain weight An older child loses weight Others in the house have TB,serious coughs, or illness	Tuberculosis (TB).

Fever and seizures

A high fever is a more serious when the child also has other signs.

High fever with seizures or convulsions	Sudden, brief periods of unconsciousness Sometimes jerking body movements	Seizures and convulsions.
High fever with rash		Dengue or measles .
High fever with fast breathing, difficulty breathing, or cough	Moving less than usual Bulging soft spot (fontanelle) on top of baby's head	Pneumonia, or bacterial infection or sepsis, or meningitis.
High fever with chills or sweats	Pain: headache, belly ache, or sore muscles, sometimes pain when touched Rash, vomiting, or diarrhea	Malaria, or dengue.
High fever with bad headache, stiff neck	Sometimes vomiting, seizures, or pain when touched Weakness or sleepiness Loss of consciousness	Meningitis.
		Meningitis.

For health care workers

Gentle care for a sick child

Having a child’s cooperation will help you care for her well. Getting this cooperation requires patience and honesty. Be gentle and kind. Do not say an injection will not hurt, or a bitter medicine will taste good. If she trusts you, she will more easily accept your examinations, answer your questions, and participate in treatments. Always be truthful.

Other ways to earn a child’s trust:

Before you touch a child, make time for a conversation with her. Use this time to note her general appearance. Does she look healthy? Is she breathing normally? Do you see rashes or other skin problems?

Don’t worry, dear. Asha will take your temperature, but I will stay here with you.

Before using tools such as a stethoscope or thermometer, show her how they work.
Encourage the mother, grandmother, or whoever is caring for the child to hold and comfort her. Whenever possible, show the caregiver how to provide any needed treatments.
Treat a child’s pain with paracetamol (acetaminophen) or another pain reliever. Often a child can rest, eat, and drink more, and so begin to heal, if you reduce her pain.
Save painful treatments or unpleasant medications for the end of your visit.

Work with the community

When health workers can join forces with families and other community members, they have more power. It may be possible to advocate for ways to make children’s health services more effective and supportive for children, for example, more fully staffed so health workers have time to be patient with a child. And to provide good care, clinics need to be stocked with enough medicines and supplies. Community mobilization may be able to make this happen.

Working together can also increase the activities at a health center, such as forming parent support groups, maintaining a play area in the waiting room, holding health talks about child development or ways to deal with problem behavior, or organizing health fairs.

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This page was updated:19 Mar 2024

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