Knowing Your Child's Medical History

When a child is ill or injured and requires emergency care, doctors, nurses, and paramedics will have many questions about his or her medical history. And even the most organized parent might not be able to remember the details of a child's health history in a stressful situation.

That's why it's important to keep a comprehensive record of your child's health information nearby. In many cases, this information can help a medical professional make quicker diagnoses and decisions during an emergency, when each second counts.

Read the categories below to learn more, and create a complete health record for your kids. Keep one copy of the record in an accessible place at home (such as on the refrigerator), one in each car, one at each parent's workplace, and one in each parent's bag or wallet. You should also supply your child's school or day care, as well as babysitters with this list, along with the name and number of your doctor.

Allergies

Record on your list any known prescription and nonprescription. Allergic reactions to food allergies are also important to list. In addition, some kids may have latex allergies. In many cases, allergy information helps medical personnel discover a cause for problems like medications can't be taken together, so paramedics need to know all medications (prescription and nonprescription) your kids take before they can administer any drug. A child's symptoms also could be due to side effects of medications, which is another reason it's important to report everything being taken. In addition, you need to know the doses, the dosing schedules, and when and how much of the medications were recently taken.

Pre-existing Illnesses or Conditions

Pre-existing illnesses or conditions can have a great impact on the kinds of tests or treatments administered during an emergency. If your child has any health problem — from diabetes to epilepsy to immunizations is important. If you need help remembering or compiling all the information, the staff at your doctor's office can assist you. Be sure to include information about any reactions a child may have had following an immunization, such as seizures, high Larissa Hirsch, MD
Date reviewed: November 2007