What is a fever all about? Almost everyone has had a fever, and when a child has a fever, parents get anxious. In fact, most fevers are caused by bacterial or viral infections, i.e., fever due to illness. When we have a fever, our body temperature is set from the normal 37° to 38°, 39° or even 40°. In other words, the body no longer uses 37° as the standard, but rather the new set point to regulate heat production and dissipation. Fever is the body’s protective response to infection, and at 38° to 38.5°, the body’s immune system is active, helping to control infection. Can fever damage my brain? A fever of 40° or less will not damage the brain unless the brain is inflamed by viruses or bacteria, such as meningitis or encephalitis, when the child is depressed even after the fever has temporarily subsided with antipyretics, and may have convulsions, headaches, vomiting, etc. When is it necessary to reduce heat treatment? How do I handle it? Generally, children with febrile convulsions can take antipyretic medication when the fever is over 39°, but febrile convulsions usually occur once per illness, mostly within 24 hours of the onset of the illness. How to reduce fever? Children under three months of age are usually cooled physically by reducing their clothing, taking warm baths with water equal to the child’s body temperature, and feeding them more water. Some parents, once their child has a fever, think that the baby is sick, to wear more clothes, covered tightly to the hospital, on them off, but also not happy. They do not know that this cover tightly, equivalent to insulation, will be a good insulation of hyperthermia, how to lower the body temperature? When to keep warm? When the fever starts and the child is afraid of cold. Once the fever reaches its peak and the child is afraid of heat, it is necessary to reduce clothing and blankets. You can take antipyretic medicine if you are three months or older. The safe antipyretics for children are acetaminophen and ibuprofen, which should not be taken together, but staggered if necessary. Acetaminophen should not be given more than four times in 24 hours and should not be taken in excess each time. Drink plenty of water after taking antipyretics, which are used to reduce fever by sweating. Remember to change your clothes promptly after sweating. When do I need to see a doctor? A baby under 3 months of age with a fever of 38.5° or higher needs to be seen in the emergency room. A baby with febrile convulsions, significant dehydration (low urine output, sunken fontanelle), and difficulty breathing needs to be seen in the emergency room. Outpatient visits are usually sufficient. When do I need to see a doctor again? First, if the body temperature temporarily drops after taking antipyretic medication (not necessarily to normal), then the patient is not in good spirits, second: the fever does not go away after three days at home, third: new symptoms appear, and fourth: the existing symptoms are significantly worse. Do I have to take anti-inflammatory drugs for fever? Fever does have inflammation, but this inflammation can be caused by viruses and bacteria, etc. Most colds are caused by viruses, and the anti-inflammatory drugs that people talk about are actually antibiotics, which are only effective against bacteria, mycoplasma, chlamydia, etc., but not against viruses. Only fever caused by bacteria need to take anti-inflammatory drugs. Anti-inflammatory drugs are chemicals, the human body is not a chemical factory, and it is only right that they are needed. Misuse of antibiotics will lead to bacterial resistance, and antibiotics will not be effective when the real bacteria are infected. Do you need to hang water for fever? It’s a popular idea to hang up water. The most extreme case was a grandmother who took her granddaughter to the doctor. The little girl had not had a bowel movement for 7 days and was in distress. Most of the parents who have this request are working, rural, low education level, and do not give him hanging, saying that the doctor’s attitude is bad, no medical ethics. It makes the doctor laugh and cry, communication, it is useless, can not understand. Saline is not fairy water, cold hanging water is useless. Hanging water hanging is antibiotics and water, salt (here the salt is not the salt eaten, refers to sodium chloride potassium chloride, etc.). Among all the methods of medication, it is the most allergic, and even if the quality of the hanging solution is good, there are always tiny substances that cannot be excreted by the body and accumulate in the body, blocking the end of the capillaries. It is only when the bacterial infection is heavy and when the food is significantly less that you need to be hooked up to water, and generally children over two or three years old take medication with good results. If you are dehydrated and cannot take fluids orally, you need to be hooked up to water.