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When to bring your child to the health facility

Updated Generic C-IYCF Counselling Package, 2024 (UNICEF | 2024)
When to bring your child to the health facility

Key Messages

  • Take your baby or young child to the health clinic if you observe developmental delays.
  • Take your baby or young child to the health clinic if he or she appears to be losing weight. It is important to do this as soon as possible to prevent malnutrition and ensure that children at risk are screened for malnutrition and referred for timely treatment and care, if needed.
  • Take your baby or young child immediately to your local health facility or trained health care provider if any of the following symptoms are present:
    • Refusal to feed and weakness (or lethargy) 
    • Vomiting (cannot keep anything down)
    • Diarrhoea (more than three loose stools a day for two days or more and/or blood in the stool, sunken eyes)
    • Convulsions (rapid and repeated contractions of the body, shaking)
    • Lower part of the chest sucks in when the child breathes in, or it looks as though the stomach is moving up and down (respiratory infection)
    • Fever (possible risk of malaria)
    • Severe malnutrition in the form of sudden loss of weight or swelling of the body.

Included Images
Child Health Care - Boy's growth chart - 09 - CIYCF23
Child Health Care - Girl's growth chart - 08 - CIYCF23

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