Choosing where you are going to take your child may not be as straightforward as driving to the nearest hospital. You may have several options available to you. Depending on your insurance coverage, your location or your doctor's recommendation, you may choose an urgent care center (usually open late and on weekends), an ER in a full-service hospital (open 24/7) or an ER in a children's hospital (also open 24/7). Deciding where to take your child should depend on what is closest to you, where your child has been seen before (having previous records can be very helpful) and which facility your physician recommends (ideally, where she works).

Your closest option may be an urgent care center, either located in a clinic or in the hospital. Urgent care clinics are capable of handling most non-life-threatening problems, such as fever, vomiting, an asthma attack or an injured ankle. Many free-standing urgent care clinics have radiology available to get X-rays but may not have access to CT scans or other, more specialized, radiology.

Urgent care clinics in hospitals help take some of the burden off busy emergency departments, decrease wait times and can still offer specialist consultations and hospital admission if necessary. If the physician at the urgent care clinic feels that your child needs further evaluation that is not possible at the clinic, you may be transported to an ER.

Many cities have a designated children's hospital with an emergency department. Children's hospitals are an excellent place to seek care for your child, especially if she has any significant medical history and has been seen in a specialist clinic previously (such as a diabetes or neurology clinic). The advantage of a children's hospital is that the staff is specifically trained to care for kids. You'll notice this right away, from the child-oriented décor, readily available toys and books and the colorful scrubs and ties that staff members wear.

Keep in mind that the staff of other ERs that see both adults and children do receive pediatric training. For example, though I work in several emergency departments that are not part of a "children's" hospital, I have been specifically trained in pediatric care and procedures and have extensive experience taking care of children. These hospitals are also staffed with pediatricians who can consult on and admit children who require continued treatment in the hospital. If your child is admitted, she will stay in a "pediatric ward," where the staff only takes care of kids.