As an emergency room doctor, I see a lot of kids – especially in the middle of the night. What makes parents worried enough to bundle up their little ones, sit patiently in hard waiting room chairs (sometimes for hours) and seek the advice of a physician? The top complaints I hear from toddlers and their parents in the ER are fever, fussiness and falls.

Judging the seriousness of an injury or illness can be very difficult, especially when a young child can't really communicate what he is feeling, when it started and what makes it better or worse.

Children can look terrible when they are sick or hurt. For example, when a child or infant has a fever, her entire personality is affected. Parents respond intuitively to the fussiness, decreased appetite and decreased energy levels of their children, which are some of the most obvious signs that a child is ill or injured. As a doctor, I rely on the parents' description of their child's behavior – so be specific about what symptoms made you worried.

In the ER, hospital staff immediately check on your child's temperature, respiratory rate and oxygen levels. These "vital" signs and the overall appearance of the child are the first clues to how ill he really is. For example, a child who is having difficulty breathing because of a severe asthma attack will be breathing quickly and may even have a low oxygen level. Your child's age also affects how we interpret those vital signs.

Content on this site is not a substitute for professional medical or healthcare advice, diagnosis or treatment, and may not be used for such purposes. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical question or condition. Reliance on information presented on this site is at your own risk. This site contains the opinions and views of other users. Given the interactive nature of this site, we cannot endorse, guarantee, or be responsible for the accuracy, efficacy, or veracity of any content generated by our users.