- Your child is not breathing.
- Your child appears to be having severe respiratory distress.
- Your child is having signs of an anaphylactic reaction (usually hives, along with vomiting and/or wheezing or difficulty breathing).
- Your child is unconscious and cannot be aroused.
- Your child appears to be having a seizure.
- Your child has had a traumatic injury and cannot move arms or legs or complains of severe neck pain.
If you are driving your child to the Emergency Department (ED) and your child seems unstable, your priority should be to get to the nearest ED. Even if the ED you choose is not in a pediatric hospital, the ED staff will be able to stabilize your child and to arrange transfer.
If your child is stable but requires emergency care, we would typically recommend either Children's Hospital in Boston or Newton-Wellesley Hospital.
If the Situation Is Dire, Do Not Call Us
Simply call 911 or proceed immediately to the Emergency Department. But if your child seems stable, please call us to discuss the situation. We may actually be able to help your child in our office. If not, we can help direct you to the appropriate ED and can call the ED so that they will expect you.