Health and care

A baby ear infection, an infection behind the eardrum, often follows a cold. You may suspect it from fever, crying, night waking, refusing the bottle or a hand at the ear; only an examination of the eardrum confirms it. See a doctor the same day under 3 months, if the ear is discharging or if pain lasts beyond 48 hours.

Gastroenteritis in babies is usually viral and clears up on its own. The real danger is dehydration: offer oral rehydration solution (ORS) in very small amounts, often, and keep giving milk. No plain water, fizzy drinks or anti-diarrhoea medicine. Under 6 months, or if your baby vomits everything, is drowsy or has few wet nappies, see a doctor right away.

A watery eye without redness often points to a tear duct that has not opened yet, which usually clears before age 1. A red eye with pus suggests conjunctivitis. In both cases, clean with saline, from the inner corner outwards. Under age 2, conjunctivitis should be seen by a doctor the same day.

Call 141 if your baby is struggling to breathe, turns blue, grey or mottled, is floppy or hard to wake, has a seizure, has spots that do not fade under pressure or has not passed urine for 12 hours. A fever under 3 months, dehydration or a fall on the head in a young baby call for medical advice without delay.

A baby medicine cabinet needs only a few things: a digital thermometer, single-dose saline vials, sachets of oral rehydration solution, something to protect the skin and treat small cuts, and the fever medicine your doctor recommends. Store everything up high, closed, somewhere cool, in its boxes with the leaflets.

A rash with fever is usually a sign of a mild viral illness: roseola, chickenpox, hand, foot and mouth disease. Measles, however, can be serious, and the vaccine protects against it. Most are treated at home: give plenty to drink, keep watch, no ibuprofen with chickenpox. Spots that do not fade under the pressure of a glass mean calling 141.

Oral thrush is a mouth infection caused by a fungus, Candida albicans, and is common before 6 months. It forms white patches on the tongue and inside the cheeks that do not wipe off, unlike milk. Usually mild, it should still be shown to a doctor, especially before 4 months. If you breastfeed, mother and baby are treated together.

Baby constipation is judged by what the stools are like more than how often they come: hard, difficult or painful to pass. A breastfed baby can go several days without a poo if they are well and the stools stay soft. Gentle steps: correctly made-up bottles, fruit and vegetables after 6 months, potty time without pressure. Never a laxative without medical advice.