Paediatrics Taree

Fever itself is a sign the immune system is working, and in most children it passes without concern. The number on the thermometer matters less than how your child looks and behaves. See a doctor promptly if a baby under three months has any fever (38°C or above), as young infants need assessment regardless of other symptoms. For older children, seek medical advice if the fever lasts more than two to three days, if your child is unusually drowsy, refusing fluids, breathing rapidly, has a stiff neck, a rash that doesn't fade when pressed or seems to be getting worse rather than better.

Trust your instincts too — parents are usually the best judges of when something isn't right with their child. If your child is alert, drinking well and reasonably comfortable between fever spikes, it's generally reasonable to monitor them at home, but a GP visit is never a wasted trip when you're unsure.

Australia's National Immunisation Program provides free vaccinations for children at scheduled ages, starting at birth with hepatitis B, followed by rounds at six weeks, four months, six months, 12 months, 18 months and four years. These cover diseases including whooping cough, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, tetanus, diphtheria, pneumococcal disease, meningococcal disease, rotavirus and chickenpox. In adolescence, school-based programs deliver HPV and further meningococcal and whooping cough boosters, typically in Years 7 to 10.

Annual flu vaccination is also free for children aged six months to under five years, and for older children with certain medical conditions. Staying on schedule matters, as the timing is designed to protect children when they're most vulnerable to each disease. If your child has missed a dose, catch-up vaccinations are available free for anyone under 20 — a GP can review your child's immunisation history and bring them up to date.

Children develop at different rates, so a wide range of "normal" exists, but broad milestones offer a useful guide. As general markers, most babies smile socially by around eight weeks, sit without support by nine months, take first steps between 12 and 18 months and say simple words around their first birthday. By age two, most children combine words into short phrases, and by three, they typically speak in sentences strangers can partly understand.

Rather than worrying over a single missed milestone, look at the overall pattern of progress. It's worth discussing with a GP if your child loses skills they previously had, isn't responding to sounds or their name, shows little eye contact or interest in others, isn't walking by 18 months or has speech noticeably behind peers. Early assessment matters because support is most effective when started young — a GP can assess development, address concerns and refer to paediatricians, speech pathologists or other services if needed.