When to get medical help for your child with cancer
Seek help if your child:
- does not feel well or look right (or you are worried about them)
- has a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or above
- has an infection - redness or tenderness anywhere on the body
- is in contact with chickenpox or measles
- has any bleeding - nose bleed for more than 5 minutes, bleeding gums or bruising
- has tiny red or purple flat spots on the skin (petechiae)
- is excessively tired, pale or short of breath
- is dehydrated - weeing less, dry mouth, no tears when crying
- is in severe or long-lasting (persistent) pain
- refuses to drink
- is not swallowing saliva
- has missed a dose of medicine
- is vomiting less than half an hour after medicine
Who to contact if your child is unwell
If you are concerned that your child has any of the symptoms above, call your healthcare team. This could be your shared care paediatric team or the Starship or CHOC clinic, depending on where you live.
Make sure you have the appropriate contact numbers and keep them in a handy place.
Important contacts for your child with cancer
Keep a record of the people you may need to contact about your child's cancer care. This will include your child's treatment team, your local hospital as well as any other contacts you may need.
You can print this page and then fill it out with your child's details and the names and numbers of your child's treatment team and other useful contacts.
Your child's details
These are the details the hospital will have from your child's hospital records. If someone from your child's treatment team needs to contact you, these are the details they will use. Please let them know if your details change or need updating.
Your child's name:
NHI number:
Home address:
Home telephone:
The hospital will also collect the name, mobile and work numbers of your child's parent or caregiver. Please let the hospital know if these details need updating.
Your child's treatment team and other contacts
It's a good idea to write down the contact name and phone number for your child's key contacts.
Oncologist/haematologist:
Nurse specialist:
Social worker:
Shared care link nurse (for those outside Auckland and Christchurch):
Shared care paediatrician (for those outside Auckland and Christchurch):
Community nurse:
GP (general practitioner):
Pharmacy, local:
Other (for example, Child Cancer Foundation):
Acknowledgements
All the pages in the childhood cancer section of this website have been written by health professionals who work in the field of paediatric oncology. They have been reviewed by the members of the National Child Cancer Network (NZ). Medical information is authorised by the National Child Cancer Network Clinical Leader.
