Luria says if the problem is in between minor and life-threatening, it could well be worth the trip to the children's hospital.

CNN: How to find the best ER for your child

But, as Luria Castell says at the end of Rockin' At the Red Dog, they never really disappeared.

NPR: Dylan, the Red Dog and the Real Summer of Love

On the other end of the spectrum, if it's a relatively small problem (a minor burn, for example, or a cut that requires a few stitches) it may not be worth a long trip to a pediatric hospital, says Dr. Joseph Luria, medical director of the Emergency Department at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

CNN: How to find the best ER for your child