Stefanovic’s huge FRIGHT after his baby girl fell ill

Today host Karl Stefanovic urged parents to be vigilant after a sudden health issue sent his young daughter to hospital.

He spoke of the “really scary” ordeal on Friday morning while hosting Channel 9’s Today program, where he became emotional as he explained how his one-year-old daughter Harper suddenly fell seriously ill.

Two days ago, the father-of-four said his toddler had a ‘sniffle and cough’ which quickly turned into a temperature. She was laid down to sleep but woke up wheezing and laboring, a racing heartbeat and a skyrocketing temperature.

Stefanovic and his wife Jasmine rushed their daughter to the GP, but the little one’s condition worsened significantly and she had to be rushed to hospital.

While the breakfast show host praised the healthcare staff for their “brilliant and timely work”, he said he knew he was not the only parent who experienced this ” shared experience”.

“There were literally thousands of parents in similar situations,” he said.

“We’re lucky it wasn’t more serious, and we were lucky to have good people around her.”

Royal Children’s Hospital pediatrician Margie Danchin agreed it was a ‘familiar story’.

“After the past two years have been so difficult with Covid for parents, we are now only seeing a huge increase in viral respiratory infections in children,” she said.

NSW Australian Medical Association president Michael Bonning said the dramatic increase could be blamed on a lack of exposure to respiratory viruses and influenza.

“We know that for infants and toddlers who may not have been exposed (to respiratory viruses and influenza) in the past two years, that first exposure can be quite severe,” he said. -he declares.

“We know that influenza is a serious illness in children under five.”

Children under five are one of the age groups most at risk of contracting the potentially ‘fatal’ flu, according to a recent report.

“They are one of our priority groups for vaccination,” Dr. Bonning said.

“That’s something we want to encourage all parents to think about, especially as there’s a bit of a flu shot blitz going on right now across the country.”

Dr Danchin said emergency services had seen a spike in sick children, 20 per cent of whom needed hospitalization.

Stefanvic admitted he ‘felt guilty’ for not taking Harper straight to hospital, but Dr Danchin said a GP was the best option for parents who might otherwise have to wait up to eight hours in the “really overwhelmed” emergency department.

She said children with mild symptoms should see a doctor, but she urged parents to go straight to hospital if their child had difficulty breathing, bruising around the lips, signs of dehydration and dizziness. ‘apathy.

Parents should assess their child’s breathing by looking at the imprint on the lower neck and around the ribs to see if they are breathing faster than normal or having trouble breathing.

Dr Bonning urged parents to seek professional care quickly, as a child’s condition can change very quickly.

“Your GP is often a really good person to talk to early on at that time when you have a fever and a runny nose and you just want to talk to someone and get some advice,” he said. -he declares.

He said knowing what to look for in terms of triggers and warning signs would help parents prepare for the disease.

Stefanovic said he hopes sharing his family’s experience will help other families struggling with similar conditions.

“There’s nothing more mortifying than when one of your children falls and falls quickly when they’re sick,” he said.