Child Sick on Holiday in Spain: A Parent's Guide

A sick child far from home is one of parenting's loneliest experiences. The good news: most paediatric holiday illness is mild, self-limiting, and well within Spain's healthcare system to handle. The skill is knowing when to wait and when to act.

This guide is not a substitute for medical advice — it's the calm voice that tells you what to look for, what to do, and where to go.

The single most important question

When something feels off with your child, the question is: Is this something I can manage at home with rest, fluids, and over-the-counter medication, or does this need a medical eye?

A few honest indicators that lean toward "needs medical attention":

• Your child is not playing, not interested in food or favourite toys, just lying there
• They're not making wet nappies / urinating at the usual rate (sign of dehydration)
• The fever is persisting for more than 24 hours despite paracetamol/ibuprofen
• The child is persistently vomiting or has bloody diarrhoea
• Breathing is fast, laboured, or noisy in a way that's new
• Rash that doesn't blanch when you press a glass against it (could be meningococcal — emergency)
• Severe pain anywhere

If any of those apply, see a doctor today. If breathing is severely difficult, the rash is non-blanching with fever, the child is unresponsive, or there's a head injury with vomiting/altered behaviour: call 112 immediately.

Fever in children: the calm playbook

Fever is the most common reason parents seek medical help on holiday, and most of the time it's a good sign — the body fighting an infection.

Numbers to remember:

• Normal: 36.5–37.5°C (rectal/oral)
• Low-grade fever: 37.5–38°C
• Fever: 38.0–39°C
• High fever: 39°C+

By age:

• Baby under 3 months with any fever (≥38°C): see a doctor today, no exceptions.
• 3–6 months: fever above 39°C → see a doctor.
• 6 months–2 years: fever lasting more than 24 hours, or above 39.5°C → see a doctor.
• Older children: fever lasting more than 3 days, or with concerning symptoms (severe headache, stiff neck, vomiting, lethargy) → see a doctor.

Treatment at home:

• Paracetamol (Apiretal in Spain) — 15 mg/kg every 4–6 hours, max 4 doses/24h
• Ibuprofen (Dalsy / Junifen) — 7–10 mg/kg every 6–8 hours after age 6 months
• Hydration: small frequent sips of water, oral rehydration salts (Sueroral) if not eating
• Light clothing, comfortable room temperature (don't bundle up)
• Cool sponging — only if comfortable for the child, never cold water

Don't give aspirin to anyone under 16 (Reye syndrome risk). Don't combine paracetamol + ibuprofen on a fixed schedule unless a doctor advises — alternate only if needed and with care.

Vomiting and diarrhoea

The big risk here is dehydration, which young children develop quickly.

At home:

• Stop solid food for 4–6 hours
• Tiny frequent sips of oral rehydration solution (Sueroral, Hidranova) — start with a teaspoon every 5 minutes if vomiting
• After 4–6 hours of holding fluids: try plain bland food (BRAT diet — banana, rice, applesauce, toast)
• Avoid juice, dairy, sugary drinks (worsen diarrhoea)
• For breastfed babies: continue breastfeeding, more often, smaller amounts

Signs of dehydration to watch for:

• No wet nappies / no urination for 6+ hours
• Sunken eyes, sunken fontanelle (in babies)
• No tears when crying
• Dry mouth, dry tongue
• Lethargy, unresponsiveness
• Fast heart rate

See a doctor if: any of those signs, persistent vomiting (cannot hold a single sip), blood in stool, fever, vomit that's bright green or contains blood, signs of severe abdominal pain.

Ear infection (otitis media)

Common in young children, especially those who've been swimming. Pain, irritability, pulling at the ear, fever.

At home:

• Pain relief (paracetamol or ibuprofen by weight)
• Warm compress on the ear
• Watchful waiting if mild and child is comfortable

See a doctor if: severe pain, fever above 38.5°C, drainage from the ear, no improvement in 48 hours, child under 2 with significant ear pain.

Important: ear infections affect ear-pressure equalisation. A child with active ear infection should not fly — pressure changes can cause severe pain or ruptured eardrum. See a doctor before flying.

Sunburn

Children burn faster than adults. A bad sunburn in a small child is a real medical event.

At home (mild burn):

• Cool (not cold) compresses
• Aloe vera or aftersun
• Hydration, hydration, hydration
• Pain relief (paracetamol)
• Loose cotton clothing

See a doctor if:

• Widespread blistering
• Fever
• Severe pain unresponsive to paracetamol
• Signs of dehydration
• Sunburn on a baby under 1 year (any degree)

Prevention is paramount: SPF 50+ for kids, hat, t-shirt during peak hours (12:00–16:00), shade as much as possible. UV-protective swim shirts are excellent.

Common bites and stings

• Mosquito bites: cool compress, hydrocortisone 1% cream, oral antihistamine if many bites or large reaction. Children's antihistamines: cetirizine syrup (Zyrtec) by weight. See a doctor if bite becomes hot, expanding, with fever (infection).
• Jellyfish stings: rinse with sea water (NOT fresh water), remove visible tentacles with card edge, hot water (40–45°C) for 20 minutes, oral antihistamine. See a doctor if widespread reaction, breathing trouble, sting on face/throat.
• Bee/wasp sting: scrape the stinger out with a fingernail, ice, antihistamine cream. See a doctor immediately if facial swelling, breathing trouble, or many stings.
• Tick bite: remove with fine-tipped tweezers grasping close to the skin, pull straight out. Save the tick if possible. See a doctor if you can't remove it, if the bite-site develops an expanding red ring (Lyme disease), or if symptoms develop.

Where to get medical help in Spain

Pediatric ER (Urgencias Pediátricas): every public hospital with maternity has one. Wait times in peak season can be long. Pediatric staff usually speak basic English in tourist areas.

Private pediatric clinic: in major destinations, several private clinics have walk-in pediatric capacity. Cost: €70–150 for the visit, fully reimbursed by most travel insurance.

Home-visit pediatrician: a service that's increasingly common in tourist hubs. A licensed pediatrician (or family doctor with pediatric experience) comes to your hotel/villa. Easier on a sick child than the ER, faster than booking a clinic appointment in season.

Pharmacy: for mild cases, pharmacists can advise on appropriate over-the-counter pediatric products and tell you whether to escalate.

What to bring to a pediatric doctor

• Your child's passport or ID
• Travel insurance card with policy number
• Vaccine record (Spain may want to know what's been given)
• List of any chronic conditions and medications the child takes regularly
• The product you used at home (paracetamol bottle, antibiotic if any) so the doctor sees the dose and brand
• A comfort item — a stuffed animal, a tablet with downloaded shows. Doctor visits go better when the child has a familiar thing.

A word for tired parents

You're going to second-guess yourself. That's normal. Here's the rule that helps most parents:

If the question "should I see a doctor?" has been in your head for more than an hour, the answer is yes. A doctor visit costs €120–180. The peace of mind is worth that.

Spanish doctors and pediatricians, especially in tourist areas, are used to nervous parents in a foreign country. You won't be the first, and you won't be judged. They'd much rather you came in for a "false alarm" than waited too long with a real problem.

Bottom line

Most child illness on holiday is manageable. The path is:

1. Triage honestly — red, amber, green
2. Don't dismiss "amber" when it's a child — escalate sooner than you would for yourself
3. Use a home-visit pediatrician if you have the option — gentler on the child, faster than the ER
4. Hydrate aggressively — most pediatric problems on holiday are dehydration-amplified
5. Document everything — invoices, reports, prescriptions for insurance

Spain takes children's health seriously. The system is well-equipped to help you.