Dawaa Reference

Clinical reference

Child Behaviour Symptom or Complaint

Treatment options, dosing, cautions and Egyptian brands from the shipped Dawaa Reference card.

Evidence status

Checked against the sources named below

Sources3 sources

ICPC-3 (WONCA International Classification of Primary Care, 3rd edition) - condition scope only, no dose · No dose - no medicine is given for this in primary care · Temper Tantrums - StatPearls - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK544286/

Verified against1 document
  • No dose - no medicine is given for this in primary care

Verified date2026-08

Presentation reference

Is it this?

Reference only, to read alongside your own examination.

Red flags (4)

  • Refer for formal assessment if there is suspicion of autism, or developmental regression
  • Refer for prematurity, especially under 28 weeks' gestation or a birth weight under 1500 g
  • Refer for an abnormal neurological examination, chromosomal abnormality, or hearing or vision abnormality
  • Refer for a failed screening test, major risk factors, or significant parental concern that persists despite routine observation

Symptoms — what the patient reports (3)

  • Temper tantrums are normal development and peak at 2 to 3 years, as the child learns to control emotions and become independent
  • Behaviours in a tantrum: hitting, screaming, waving the limbs, falling to the floor, headbanging, throwing or kicking things, and breath-holding [temper tantrum]
  • A tantrum is often the only way the child can say they are hungry, unwell or frustrated [temper tantrum]

Signs — what you find (3)

  • A tantrum lasting more than 15 minutes is outside the normal pattern [temper tantrum]
  • So is a tantrum in a child over 5 years old, or one persisting past 3 years without coping skills developing [temper tantrum]
  • Also abnormal: the child injures themselves or another person, destroys something, has another behaviour alongside the tantrum such as urinary incontinence, or does not return to their baseline behaviour between tantrums [temper tantrum · urinary incontinence]

If not this — what else fits (6)

  • Parental concern is the most reliable method of early detection of a developmental problem and should never be ignored
  • The reverse is not true - no parental concern does not mean development is normal, and recall of milestones is biased towards normality
  • Biological risk factors: chronic illness, abnormal hearing or vision testing, prematurity and low birth weight
  • Environmental risk factors: poverty, which carries the highest association with mild to intermediate developmental delay, social isolation, parental mental illness and low parental education
  • A delay in one milestone often catches up; the risk rises when several milestones are delayed
  • Screening tests such as the Denver Developmental Screening Test are not diagnostic, and clinical judgement alone is not a reliable method either

SourceStatPearls "Child Development" (NBK564386) - the development chapter; its temper-tantrum and developmental-surveillance sections are what this card covers, and it is not a general behavioural-disorder chapter

Presentation findings are traced to the source above.

1

NO DRUG THERAPY IN PRIMARY CARE (ASSESSMENT & ADVICE)

1st line
Adult dose and duration

Broad symptom code covering delayed milestones, overactivity, temper tantrums, jealousy, or speech delay in children; the GP screens development and behaviour, offers parenting advice, and refers to paediatrics or child psychiatry if a specific disorder such as ADHD or autism is suspected. - Assessment and advice

Paediatric dose

Children follow the same pathway: assessment, explanation and follow-up. No primary-care medicine is implied.

Dose source

No dose - no medicine is given for this in primary care

Why

Broad symptom code covering delayed milestones, overactivity, temper tantrums, jealousy, or speech delay in children; the GP screens development and behaviour, offers parenting advice, and refers to paediatrics or child psychiatry if a specific disorder such as ADHD or autism is suspected.

Cautions
  • RED FLAG - Severe self-injurious behavior or violent outbursts risking harm: assess urgently and refer.
  • No medicine is prescribed for this in primary care. The value of the consultation is recognition, explanation and follow-up, and referral if the red flags above appear.
  • RED FLAG - Loss of previously acquired skills (developmental regression), significant delay across multiple developmental domains, or signs of abuse or neglect: assess urgently and refer.

Prices are indicative (dataset snapshot 2026-06); verify with the pharmacy.