Caring for your child with COVID

You’ll find what you need to know about caring for your child at home, and when to ask for help if you are concerned about your child’s condition here.

Here's a useful COVID-19 information sheet from the Ministry of Health for parents and caregivers of tamariki with COVID-19.

If you’d rather watch a video, check out the recording below from Starship Children's Emergency Department doctor Emily who has some advice about:

• common and less common COVID-19 symptoms
• how to care for your child with COVID-19 at home
• when to see a doctor.

Breastfeeding provides an added level of protection from COVID-19 and other illnesses for your baby. Most often, babies who are breastfed remain healthy even when their parents or other family members are unwell with an infectious illness.

Considering the many benefits of breastfeeding, you should continue to breastfeed during the COVID-19 pandemic while applying all the necessary precautions.

As well as making sure that you and all of your family are fully vaccinated and boosted, you should:

• wash your hands before and after contact with your baby (including feeding, nappy change, playing and holding)
• clean/disinfect any surfaces you touch
• ensure you cough or sneeze into your elbow or a tissue which you discard immediately, then clean your hands again.

There’s more breastfeeding advice if you have COVID-19 here.