Health visitors are here to support you and your family, helping you feel confident about your baby or child’s health and what to do if they become unwell. As Specialist Community Public Health Nurses, they offer trusted, evidence‑based advice to help you understand and manage common childhood illnesses. Because babies and young children can become unwell quickly, your health visitor will also give you simple, consistent guidance on what signs to look out for and when to get extra help. They can point you to the right services, like your GP, NHS 111 or A&E if needed.
A big part of keeping children healthy is prevention. This includes routine immunisations which protect babies and children from serious illnesses like measles, whooping cough and meningitis. Your health visitor can talk you through these and support you to make informed choices.
Above all, health visitors want to build your confidence, support your family’s wellbeing and help give your child the best possible start in life.
To learn more about common childhood illnesses, just click the topics below:
Scarlet fever is a highly infectious illness caused by Group A Strep bacteria and mostly effects children.
🎥 Videos
Strep A and Scarlet Fever – When to worry and when to get help
Strep A information with Dr Ranj Singh
This short (4 min) video has been made by the NHS and Department of Health and Social Care to give families information about what Strep A is and what to look for.
➡️ External Resources:
Dr Ranj, a paediatric doctor, explains what symptoms to look out for and where to get help when your child may have fever – with symptoms listed in Red, Amber and Green categories.
➡️ External Resources:
Reflux is the medical term for when some of the stomach contents come back up from the stomach and travel up the oesophagus (tube from the stomach to the mouth). The stomach contents are acidic which can cause irritation and discomfort. This can make your baby vomit or regurgitate milk - they may cry for long periods, arch their backs and refuse feeds.
📄 iHV Parent Tip:
An umbilical granuloma is an overgrowth of tissue during the healing process of the belly button (umbilicus). It usually looks like a soft pink or red lump and often is wet or leaks small amounts of clear or yellow fluid. It is most common in the first few weeks of a baby’s life.
📄 iHV Parent Tip:
Sepsis is a rare but serious condition. It happens when the body’s response to an infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. It is also known as blood poisoning or septicaemia.
Sepsis needs treatment in hospital straight away because it can get worse quickly. It is important to recognise the signs as early as possible.
For further information please see Healthier Together - Sepsis.
Bronchiolitis and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
Dr Ranj, a paediatric doctor, explains what symptoms to look out for and where to get help when your child may have Bronchiolitis and RSV – with symptoms listed in Red, Amber and Green categories.
Croup
Dr Ranj, a paediatric doctor, explains what symptoms to look out for and where to get help when your child may have Croup – with symptoms listed in Red, Amber and Green categories.
Difficulty breathing and wheeze
Dr Ranj, a paediatric doctor, explains what symptoms to look out for and where to get help when your child may have Difficulty Breathing or Wheeze – with symptoms
Childhood cancer is rare, but it does occur more frequently than most of us think. The aim of the Parent Tip below is to make you aware of what to look for in your child to enable affected children to be diagnosed early. Early diagnosis of childhood cancer saves lives.
📄 iHV Parent Tip:
Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) is the medical term used when the level of glucose in your blood drops too low. Glucose is a sugar in the body, made from the breakdown of carbohydrates found in foods like bread, potatoes and pasta. Glucose is the main source of energy or fuel for the body and importantly the brain.
📄 iHV Parent Tip:
It is very common for newborn babies to have sticky eyes. Most of the time, it will look like a white or yellow discharge from the corner of one or both eyes, which may not be due to an infection.
📄 iHV Parent Tip:
Glue ear – also known as ‘Otitis Media with Effusion (OME)’ - is a build-up of fluid inside the middle ear which prevents the ear drum from moving freely. This stops sound from passing through the ear as well as it should, causing hearing loss in 1 or both ears.
📄 iHV Parent Tip:
Please note, further information regarding hearing can be found in our child development (including children with additional needs) section.
Good oral health in childhood helps children eat, sleep, and speak comfortably, and it sets the foundation for healthy habits that last a lifetime. Preventing tooth decay early not only avoids pain and infections but also supports confidence and overall wellbeing as children grow.
📄 iHV Parent Tip:
Looking after your children's teeth
➡️ External Resources:
The British Society of Paediatric Dentistry - Patient Info
The British Society of Paediatric Dentistry - Smiles for life! KidsVids
Health Education England (HEE) - Now You Have Teeth (video)
NHS - Healthy teeth and gums
NHS - Teething
NI Direct - Oral health
Public Health Wales - Designed to Smile, Information for parents and carers
Oral health in children with SEND webpage was created in collaboration with Healthier Together to help promote good oral health for babies and children with special education needs and disabilities (SEND).
Vaccinations play a vital role in keeping children healthy by protecting them from potentially serious diseases that can cause long-term complications. For parents, ensuring children are vaccinated is a simple but powerful way to support their long-term health and wellbeing.
📄 iHV Parent Tip:
Childhood Immunisations Part 1: An introduction to childhood immunisations
Childhood Immunisations Part 2: Frequently asked questions
🎥 Short film – Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR):
iHV and Barnardo’s created a short film to help families understand the MMR vaccine. It follows two parents as they share why they chose to vaccinate their son, and how they found trusted information after struggling initially online. They talk about the importance of protecting not just their own child, but also vulnerable relatives and friends, and encourage any parent with questions to speak to a health visitor or GP for reliable advice. Their son is also proud to show off his vaccination certificate to his nursey friends.
External Resources
The iHV recommends the websites below:
