Doctor Consultation by Phone for Children in Nigeria

Dial *9010# → “Book a doctor” → “Children & family”. Or visit medtrix.io and filter by “Paediatrics”.

Have ready: child's age, weight (or rough estimate), current temperature, what symptoms started when, any medications already given, and any known allergies. The clearer your answers, the faster the doctor can help.

• Fever, when to give paracetamol/ibuprofen and when to worry
• Cough, runny nose, sore throat — viral vs bacterial
• Stomach upsets, vomiting, diarrhoea — oral rehydration salts (ORS) plans
• Rashes — heat rash, allergy, infection, measles screening
• Crying baby — colic, reflux, hunger, infection
• Feeding and weaning questions for babies
• Sleep problems, bedwetting, behavioural questions
• Vaccination schedules (Nigerian National Programme on Immunisation)
• Routine follow-ups for asthma, sickle-cell disease, malaria prophylaxis

A phone consultation is excellent for triage, and these are the conditions where the paediatrician will end the call quickly and tell you to head to a hospital:

• Any child under 3 months with a fever above 38°C
• Difficulty breathing — fast breathing, chest pulling in, blue lips
• Repeated vomiting and not keeping fluids down
• Sunken eyes, no tears when crying, very few wet nappies (severe dehydration)
• A non-blanching rash (push a glass against it — if it doesn't fade, go to A&E)
• Convulsions / fits
• Floppy or unresponsive baby

Dial 112 for an ambulance, or 767 in Lagos (LASEMA).

Paediatricians dose by weight, not by age. The doctor will calculate the correct millilitres or tablets and send the prescription by SMS and PDF. Common phone-prescribed items for children include:

• Paracetamol and ibuprofen suspensions
• Oral rehydration salts and zinc supplements
• Antimalarials (artemether-lumefantrine combinations)
• Antibiotic suspensions for clear-cut infections
• Antihistamines for allergies and itchy skin

Always read the prescription back to the doctor before you hang up — especially the dose — and ask any pharmacy to confirm the same dose at dispensing.