In the dead of winter, the child suddenly had a high fever, the mother was busy to the child dressed in thick clothes, panicked and rushed to the hospital, the doctor gave the child a listen, said: fortunately sent in time, otherwise it is pneumonia. The mother sat down fatigued on a chair and breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that the child was not delayed. This is a scene from too many TV shows, and is deeply rooted in the minds of many mothers. In those days when I worked in the hospital emergency room, I saw too many children who came to the clinic on cold nights because of fever. Fever is the most common symptom of nighttime emergencies. When a child has a fever, parents panic, thinking that their child has a serious illness. But the truth is: most fevers do not require a nighttime emergency. When a parent finds a sudden fever at night, the first thing to do is not to rush the child to the hospital, but to give the child fever-reducing medicine to bring the child’s temperature down first. Night fever children often cover more, because of irritability, sleepy often refuse to drink water, so the body temperature often does not come down. Be sure not to wear more cover more, drinking water is necessary to lower the temperature. When the child’s temperature has receded, if the child can not cry and sleep quietly, most do not need emergency medical care, such as the next day again fever, and then take the child to the clinic is not too late. There is a progression of any disease, and there are too few children with fever who become pneumonia after all. TV shows are often exaggerated and artistically manipulated, and should not be taken at face value. However, if your child is still fussy and refuses to sleep even after his or her temperature has dropped to normal, you should consider seeking medical attention. If your child has not only a fever, but also a cough, pay attention to the child’s cough. If the cough is only a mild dry cough or a bout of coughing, most do not require urgent medical attention. I have seen children in the emergency room who have been coughing for 2 months and have to be seen at night. I don’t know what the parents think, but they have been coughing for 2 months and have to drag their child out of the room in the middle of the night to see the emergency room. If you find that your child is still breathing rapidly and coughing frequently with wheezing sounds even after the temperature has dropped to normal, you may have wheezing bronchitis or asthma and should bring your child to the emergency room for treatment. If you find that your child has a strange coughing sound, like an old man coughing, or like a dog barking, and accompanied by shortness of breath and bruising around the mouth, your child may have acute laryngitis and needs emergency treatment. Vomiting and diarrhea: There are more nighttime emergencies for children with vomiting and diarrhea. If there is only vomiting, no fever, and a history of improper diet during the day, the child complains of abdominal pain with either mild or moderate diarrhea (and some without diarrhea). This condition is considered to be diagnosed as acute gastroenteritis and mostly does not require emergency care. Parents should take care at home to ensure adequate water intake for their children to prevent dehydration due to frequent vomiting. Water is best in the form of oral rehydration salts, which are usually available at 24-hour pharmacies. Never let the child drink too much water at one time, because the stomach function is very poor at this time, drinking more water is very likely to cause vomiting to worsen. You can let your child drink a small amount of water several times to reduce the stimulation of the stomach and intestines, but also to ensure the intake of water and electrolytes. If vomiting is accompanied by fever and irritability or depression, the child should be seen at night as an emergency. Summary: Most febrile children do not require nighttime emergency care, and the key is to reduce the temperature rather than seek medical attention. After the temperature has dropped to normal, the child should be seen at night for irritability and crying. Most children with cough do not need nighttime emergency care. If the child has wheezing, fast breathing or a barking cough, he should be seen at night. Vomiting and diarrhea usually do not require nighttime emergency care, but if they are accompanied by depression, irritability, fever, and a significant decrease in urine output, they should be seen at night. Small infants with significantly reduced milk intake, severe choking and vomiting, depression, and fever should be seen at night as they are too young and their condition is changing rapidly. If you feel that your child’s condition is different from usual, this is also an indication to seek medical attention. Of course, foreign body inhalation, serious trauma, and misuse of medication are definitely urgent cases. Parents who are good at generalization will find that the above-mentioned conditions that require medical attention often include children who are not well. That’s right! It is very important to observe your child’s mental condition. If the child is in good spirits, there is no need for an emergency visit at night. However, if the child is crying constantly, irritable, or very depressed, urgent medical attention is needed. For children with high fever, cough, vomiting and diarrhea, the nighttime emergency is mainly for symptomatic treatment, and further diagnosis of some diseases is often done the next day at a specialist. Children need to rest well when they are sick, so repeated visits are not conducive to recovery.