Many mothers ask, “What’s wrong with the fever? What should I do? In fact, for fever, in itself is not a bad thing, moderate fever helps to kill the pathogenic bacteria or viruses in the body, shorten the course of the disease and improve the baby’s immunity. But fever can make your baby uncomfortable, increase your baby’s need for fluids, and make your whistle rate and heart rate increase. The correct understanding of body temperature When understanding fever we must first understand the normal body temperature and fever temperature. The normal value of axillary measurement is 36.0 to 37 ℃, the normal value of oral measurement is 36.3 to 37.2 ℃, and the normal value of anal measurement is 36.5 to 37.7 ℃. Using the oral temperature as the standard, fever can be divided into four classes: low fever: 37.3 to 38.0 ℃; moderate fever: 38.1 to 39.0 ℃; high fever: 39.1 to 41 ℃; super high fever: 41 ℃ or more How to choose a thermometer? There is a wide range of thermometers on the market, how to choose it? Mercury thermometer is likely to break, mercury volatilization after contact with air, by human inhalation is easy to cause poisoning, so it is no longer recommended to use mercury thermometer. At present, it is recommended to use electronic thermometer, ear thermometer, forehead thermometer to measure body temperature. But there is a certain error in electronic products, as far as possible, choose a trusted big brand, it is best to compare the measurement, such as measuring the baby while measuring their own body temperature. Electronic thermometers can measure the temperature of the baby’s mouth and rectum. The accuracy of an ear thermometer depends on the ability of the infrared beam to reach the periosteum. So it is less reliable when the baby has ear wax or small bends in the ear canal. Ear temperature measurement is currently recommended from 6 months of age. Frontal thermometer, this thermometer uses an infrared scanner to determine the temperature of the temporal artery and is suitable for ages 3 months and older. Learn to measure the temperature correctly 1.Let the baby stay quietly for 15-30 minutes before measurement; 2.Each time the measurement is compared, it should be based on the same part of the body, for example, you cannot compare the mouth temperature with the axillary temperature; 3.Newborns under 1 month or very low weight are not suitable for measuring anal temperature and ear temperature, but can measure axillary temperature; 4.Ear temperature can be measured at the age of 6 months or above, babies under 6 months with ear wax or ear canal too narrow will 5.At present, it is believed that babies over 3 months old can measure frontal temperature, and if used correctly, the measurement value is still very accurate; 6.Axillary temperature can be measured no matter how old they are, but the test result will be small; 7.In general, our infants and children under 6 months old mostly choose axillary temperature; over 6 months old, it is recommended to measure ear temperature. How to take care of home after a fever? For physical cooling, it is recommended to use lower room temperature, reduce clothes, warm water baths, and ice packs are not recommended. When the fever is persistent and the temperature is dropping, physical cooling may be more comfortable for the baby. For medication cooling, acetaminophen or ibuprofen is recommended, and alternating between the two medications is generally not recommended. It is best not to give any medication to babies under 2 months of age without a doctor’s permission and prompt hospital visit. The criteria for the use of antipyretics recommended by our 2016 guidelines are an anal temperature ≥ 39.0°C, an oral temperature ≥ 38.5°C, an axillary temperature ≥ 38.2°C, or discomfort and depression due to fever. Fever-reducing medication can be used if any of these criteria are met. Encourage more fluids (e.g., water) for those over 6 months of age. If fever is one of the symptoms of a highly contagious disease, stay away from other babies or other susceptible people. When to see the doctor? 1. If fever is a symptom under 2 months of age; 2. When a baby has a high fever, this high fever may indicate a serious infection or dehydration; 3. Fever is a symptom, if the baby is accompanied by other symptoms, you should also take the baby to the hospital promptly; 4. If the fever lasts for more than 24 hours, it is best to see a doctor even if the baby is not otherwise unwell; 5. If the baby is crying while having a high fever irritability, you should take your baby to the hospital immediately.