[Reviewed by Helen Moore, M.D., Honeybee Pediatrics, Warner Robins. Dr. Moore has nearly 30 years in pediatrics and has received the Jefferson Award for Exceptional Community Service and multiple Top Doctor honors.]
It is 2 a.m., and your child is coughing in a way you’ve never heard before. You're rubbing their back while searching online for what could be wrong. Every parent has been there. Sick season in Georgia starts earlier than in some other parts of the country. Once school is back in session and the weather cools, the same handful of illnesses start making the rounds through classrooms, daycares, and church nurseries.
Most of the illnesses we see each year are miserable but manageable at home. A few need a visit with the pediatrician. We sat down with our very own Helen Moore, M.D., to create this winter illness guide to help you tell the difference.
We have already covered both RSV and the 2026/2027 flu vaccine over the past two months. If you missed those blogs, you can read the RSV one here and the flu one here. This month’s blog post covers everything else that fills our waiting rooms this time of year.
The telltale signs of a cold include a runny nose, sneezing, a cough, and sometimes a mild sore throat or low fever. Kids catch colds easily, and many parents are surprised to learn that kids often catch six to eight colds each year. They typically last seven to ten days, though a cough can linger for two to three weeks.
Because cold season overlaps with fall (and spring) allergy season, many parents wonder which their child has. The biggest tell is a cough and runny nose along with a fever. If so, a cold or another illness is more likely than allergies.
What helps at home
While we generally don't recommend over-the-counter cough and cold medicines for young children, please check with us before giving any.
When to call us
As we’ve mentioned, colds typically last a week. Call us if your child’s cold doesn't improve after 10 days, if they seem to get better and then suddenly worse, if they have ear pain, or if breathing seems difficult. Additionally, symptoms can sometimes be temporarily alleviated with cold medicine when appropriate and may be obtained from the pediatrician.
Strep is one of the illnesses parents dread hearing their kid has. And for good reason - it hurts. Strep throat usually causes a very sore throat that makes swallowing painful, along with fever, headache, stomachache, and swollen neck glands. It is most common in school-age children, but infants can get it too.
“Some kids with strep never complain of a sore throat. Because of referred pain, they may say their ears hurt instead,” said Dr. Moore.
Here is a useful clue. A runny nose and a cough usually point to a virus, not strep. A sore throat with no cold symptoms is the one we want to test for strep.
Why we test
You cannot tell strep from a viral sore throat by looking. A quick throat swab at our office gives an answer in minutes. If it is strep, antibiotics help your child feel better sooner and prevent rare but serious complications.
Most children can return to school or practice after at least 24 hours of antibiotics, as long as they don't have a fever.
Croup has a unique sound that parents who have “been there” can recognize right away. But if it is your first time hearing it in your child, it can be terrifying. The telltale sound is a barking, seal-like cough, a hoarse voice, and sometimes a noisy, high-pitched sound when your child breathes in. It most commonly affects children between 6 months and 3 years old, though it can occur in children up to 6 years old. Croup is typically caused by a virus and often worsens at night.
What helps at home
The most important thing you can do is to stay calm. Stress can cause your child to struggle to breathe. Kids pay attention to how you respond. Staying calm helps them calm down and breathe easier. Many families find that holding their child upright, sitting in a steamy bathroom, or stepping outside into cool night air soothes the cough.
If you suspect croup, call us the same day or first thing in the morning so we can check your child.
When it is an emergency
Go to the emergency room or call 911 if your child makes a noisy sound when inhaling at rest, if the skin pulls in around the ribs or neck with each breath, if they drool or cannot swallow, or if their lips look blue or gray.
Ear infections often show up a few days into a cold. Babies cannot tell you their ear hurts, so you’ll often see them tugging at their ear, being extra fussy, having trouble sleeping, having a fever, or refusing a bottle.
We examine the ear, decide what your child needs, and make a pain-relief plan. Call us if your child’s ear pain lasts more than a day, if fluid is draining from the ear, or if your child has a fever with ear pain.
“It is important to know that an ear infection itself is not contagious, even though the cold that often comes before it is,” said Dr. Moore.
Vomiting, diarrhea, cramping, and sometimes a low fever are a combination no one enjoys. And while they're part of life, when it comes to a stomach bug, vomiting isn’t our biggest concern; dehydration is.
What helps to prevent dehydration at home
Signs of dehydration
Call us right away if your child shows any of these signs, cannot keep fluids down, has blood in their vomit or stool, has severe belly pain, or is a baby under 1 year old with vomiting and diarrhea.
Fever is a sign your child's body is fighting something. It is not an illness by itself.
Use a thermometer. This is particularly important with an infant or toddler. Most parents initially check their child’s temperature by touch. A warm forehead is a guess. A thermometer reading gives us information we can act on, and it is the first thing we will ask for when you call.
"When my children had a fever, I put cool, damp towels in their armpits and groin to help bring it down," said Dr. Moore.
Antibiotics kill bacteria or stop them from multiplying. They do not work on viruses, like the flu or a cold. Because of this, they are not appropriate for all illnesses. We get a lot of questions from parents and caregivers about antibiotics. Here are some of the most common ones:
Will my child become immune to antibiotics?
No. Children do not become immune. Bacteria can become resistant, so use antibiotics only as prescribed and exactly as directed.
Finish the full course.
It is easy to stop once your child is feeling better. Please give every dose as prescribed.
Skip storing antibiotics for future needs.
Please do not save unused antibiotics in the fridge for next time. Throw away liquid antibiotics after 10 days. And do not give a leftover dose before coming to see us. It won't help and can cause a false-negative strep throat test.
It is normal to wonder if your child should come into the office to be seen. When you call, we will start with a few questions to help decide. Expect us to ask about fever, how often your child is urinating, how active they are, any rash, trouble breathing, or injury. We will also ask about subtle signs, like your child not acting like themselves. Having those answers ready helps us help you faster.
Call us the same day if you see:
Go to the emergency room or call 911 if:
You cannot prevent every bug, but a few habits make a difference.
When your child is sick, call us early. We would much rather see your child and tell you it is a cold than have you wait and wonder. Our Warner Robins North location also offers call-ahead after-hours care on weeknight evenings and weekends. We accept most major insurance plans and Medicaid, and we accept TRICARE at all three locations, so our military families at Robins can get care the same way everyone else does.
Honeybee Pediatrics Stockbridge, 919 Eagles Landing Pkwy, Suite 919 (470) 974-3243 Monday through Thursday, 8 AM to 4 PM; Friday, 9 AM to 1 PM
Honeybee Pediatrics Warner Robins North, 116 South Houston Road (478) 923-0131 Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, plus call-ahead after-hours care on weeknight evenings and weekends
Honeybee Pediatrics Warner Robins South, 1275 South Houston Lake Road, Suites 1 and 2, (478) 987-1100, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM
Call your nearest Honeybee Pediatrics office or visit www.honeybeepedsga.com to schedule.