Many conditions, medicines, and diseases interfere with your child's ability to heal or fight infection. Your child may be at risk for a more serious problem from his or her symptoms if any of the following are present. Be sure to tell your child's health professional.

Conditions

• Abnormally slow growth and development
• Exposure to a contagious disease
• History of allergies, such as hay fever or asthma
• Premature birth
• Recent immunization
• Recent tick bite (exposure to Lyme disease)
• Recent travel outside of the United States
• Starting a new medication
• Surgery to remove the spleen (splenectomy)

Medicines

• Corticosteroids, such as prednisone
• Medicines to prevent organ transplant rejection
• Medicines used to treat cancer (chemotherapy)
• Radiation therapy

Diseases

• Bleeding disorders, such as hemophilia or idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
• Cancer
• Chronic skin conditions, such as eczema (atopic dermatitis), psoriasis, or contact dermatitis
• Diabetes
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
• Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
• Kawasaki disease
• Kidney disease
• Liver disease
• Sickle cell disease