The basal body temperature of a normal pediatrician is 36.9°C to 37.5°C. Generally when the body temperature exceeds the basal body temperature by more than 1℃, it can be considered feverish. Among them, hypothermia is defined as a body temperature fluctuating around 38℃ and hyperthermia when the body temperature is above 39℃. A fever of more than two weeks in a row is called prolonged fever.
The above-mentioned basal body temperature refers to the rectal temperature, which is measured from the anus. Generally, the oral temperature is 0.3℃~0.5℃ lower than it, and the axillary temperature is 0.3℃~0.5℃ lower than the oral temperature.
My child once had a fever, too, and the antipyretic medicine went down, and it went down in a few hours, and after a few hours the fever went up again, and so on and so forth. I took her to the hospital and had her blood tested. She had a fever caused by a viral infection, and one of the characteristics of a viral infection is a recurring fever.
The doctor did not prescribe a fever reducing injection, nor a bottle, but only three antiviral injections, which did not rise again after 3 days.
If the fever is 38.5 degrees or more, please let the doctor immediately diagnose whether it is a viral infection or a bacterial infection, the viral infection will use antiviral drugs (such as: Ribavirin), the bacterial infection will use antibacterial agents (such as cephalosporins), do not rush to reduce the fever, the fever is only the surface, to find the cause of the disease.
Another thing I want to say is don’t believe in infusions. The doctor said, you can take medicine do not inject, can be injected do not infusion, the key is to use the right medicine, not with heavy medicine.
Pay attention to whether the ambient temperature is too high. In the hot summer, the temperature is very high, the baby’s own ability to regulate the body temperature and poor, the mother holding the baby when the heat is not easily distributed, so that the body temperature rises. But this fever generally does not last long, and then put the child in a cool place, a little fan, give the child some cool fruit juice, or give the child a warm bath, the body temperature will drop to normal after a few hours. In winter, if the room temperature is too high and the baby is over-wrapped, it can also raise the baby’s body temperature.
Watch for the presence of a bacterial or viral infection.
The main symptoms and causes are as follows.
Fever with a runny nose – cold (cold syndrome)
Sore throat – laryngitis, tonsillitis
Persistent fever of about 39°C with bloodshot white eyes and eye droppings – swimming pool fever
Exhaustion while having a high fever in a hot place – heat stroke (sunstroke)
Swollen parotid glands – mumps
Watery ears and emotional instability – otitis media
Breathless cough and difficulty breathing – pneumonia
Reddening of the tooth bed, salivation – stomatitis
Vomiting, cramping, bulging fontanelle – meningitis
Vomiting, cramps, unconsciousness – pneumonia, acute encephalopathy
High frequency of urination, hematuria – urinary tract infection
Fever with cramps – febrile cramps
Fever with the following conditions should be sent to hospital for treatment.
(a) Pay attention to the child’s mental state. If the child has a high fever but is still in good spirits and can still laugh and play after taking medicine to reduce the fever, similar to usual, it indicates that the child’s condition is not serious and can be reassured at home to recuperate. If the child is depressed, tired, indifferent expression, it suggests that the disease is serious, should quickly go to the hospital.
(B) observe the child’s face color. If the child’s face is as normal or flushed, you can rest assured that you can take care of it at home. If the face is dull, yellow, blue, purple, dull eyes, then the condition is serious and should be sent to the hospital.
(iii) Observe whether the child has violent, jet vomiting; if so, it indicates the possibility of craniosynostosis and should be sent to the hospital.
(iv) Check for skin rashes; if so, it indicates infectious disease or drug allergy. Check for purple, cool skin; if present, it suggests circulatory collapse. Both conditions require another trip to the hospital.
(e) Observe the child for abdominal pain and pus and blood stools. Abdominal pain that does not allow pressing and rubbing suggests acute abdomen, and pus and blood stools suggest dysentery, etc., which must also be taken to the hospital.
If the child has only a high fever, without the various comorbidities mentioned above appearing, despite the slow reduction of fever, or sometimes repeated, there is no need to worry, should be patient at home treatment, care, can take the following measures.
(a) Keep the environment quiet, comfortable and moist, ventilate the room regularly, and adults should not smoke.
(ii) Fever is a protective response of the body against microbial invasion and is beneficial in strengthening the body’s resistance. Therefore, it is not necessary to take antipyretic drugs for body temperatures below 38.5°C. Only if the body temperature exceeds 38.5°C or more, antipyretic measures are needed.
(c) Sick children should not wear too many clothes, do not cover too thick, and do not “cover sweat”, so as not to affect heat dissipation, so that the body temperature rises even higher.
(D) to encourage children to drink more water, eat more fruit. After the fever, the child’s appetite is reduced, you can prepare some delicious and easy to digest meals, choose the child’s body temperature is not high, or take medicine to reduce fever time to eat, but do not eat too much.
(E) Keep the bowels open.
Fever is probably the most time-consuming, worrying and anxious symptom for parents. When a child has a fever, it is logical that he or she should go to the hospital. So, what should parents do to take care of him before and after the doctor’s visit?
At this time, parents need to carefully observe their child for.
(1) Temperature and the child’s mental state: It is not true that the higher the temperature, the sicker the child is. Some children may have only a mild infection and their body temperature will rise very high; others, on the contrary, even if they are very sick, their body surface is only mild to the touch. Therefore, when a child is sick with a fever, parents should not only pay attention to the temperature, but also observe the general condition of the child.
If the child has a high fever but is in good spirits, reacts normally to adult teasing and laughing, has no change in complexion except for the cheeks becoming redder; after the fever subsides, the child looks normal and is easily soothed, etc., parents need not worry too much.
If the child wilts and becomes more and more like a sick person, loves to sleep, has low spirits, reacts poorly, cries and is not easily soothed, moans constantly, cries weakly, and has a pale or gray complexion, even if the fever subsides and the child’s performance does not improve, parents still need to take the child to the doctor.
(2) Convulsions: Although fever itself is not dangerous (unless it is above 41°C), there is a need to actively take various ways to bring the child’s temperature down to normal, relieve the uncomfortable feeling caused by the fever and avoid convulsions. If the child’s body temperature rises too rapidly, the child’s immature nervous system will respond to the change with spasms. Some children will have premonitory signs before a convulsion, such as trembling arms, twitching lips or blank stares, but others may not have a premonitory response.
Another thing that parents need to bother with is caring for the child so that the child’s body temperature drops to normal as soon as possible.
(1) Ambient temperature: You need to keep the living room environment as cool as possible. It is important to open the windows for ventilation. If the weather is hot, you can use air conditioning to cool down the temperature.
(2) Dress: You should wear less, but not too little. Some parents are afraid that their children will get cold or want them to sweat, they give their children cover very thick clothes, and even covered with a thick quilt, this practice is not conducive to heat dissipation of the child’s body, but easy to make the body temperature rise rapidly, inducing febrile convulsions. Therefore, according to environmental changes to increase or decrease clothing.
(3) Diet: Because fever can make children lose a lot of water and feel thirsty, it is necessary to constantly give children water to replenish the lost water. You can also prepare fruits that contain more water for your child, such as watermelon, which is very suitable for the taste of sick children. In addition, nutritious and high-calorie foods such as sugar porridge and egg custard need to be supplemented with smaller and more frequent meals. Children with fever have slow gastrointestinal motility and should not eat greasy food.
(4) Physical cooling: You can use the method of soaking in a warm bath. For children whose body temperature has risen too high (above 40℃), who are feverish and irritable, and who have had convulsions, you can try soaking in a warm bath. Let the water stay on the child’s body to lower the body temperature through evaporation, but do not use cold water; you can also use 35% alcohol to wipe the neck, groin, armpits, etc. for physical cooling.
(5) Antipyretic drugs: The commonly used antipyretic drug is the antipyretic and analgesic drug containing “paracetamol”. It is safe and effective, and is available in drops, solutions and tablets, which parents can choose according to the age of their children. When the child’s temperature reaches 38.5°C or higher, it is necessary to take it correctly according to the doctor’s prescription or instructions.
Fever is arguably the most common sign in babies. According to statistics, children who go to the hospital with a fever generally account for 10% to 15% of children’s outpatient visits. It’s no wonder that even calm parents panic when they see their child’s face burning red and scalding all over.
What should I do if my child has a fever? Is reducing the fever the best way to go? What should parents do in the end?
Experts explain
Children with fever, do not rush to reduce the temperature
First of all, do not rush to reduce the fever, but to find out the cause of the fever. A fever is not a disease, it is like an alarm bell in the body, alerting you to an abnormal condition inside the body. At the same time, fever is also a defense measure of our body against disease-causing microorganisms, and in a way, a proper fever helps to strengthen the body’s resistance and facilitate the removal of pathogens. Therefore, if your child does not have a high fever, do not rush to reduce it immediately, otherwise it will hide the real cause of the disease.
There are many causes of fever in children. Upper respiratory tract infections, gastroenteritis, tonsillitis, pneumonia and all infectious diseases may show symptoms of fever. In addition, children under one year old may also have fever due to urinary tract infections, gastrointestinal diseases, and hand, foot, and mouth diseases. In many cases, the real cause of the fever must be determined by a physician.
Bacteria or viruses, two types of infections with completely different medications
Generally speaking, bacteria and viruses are the most common sources of infection in babies, and the treatment of fever caused by these two conditions is completely different. If it is a bacterial infection, the treatment will be very effective as long as the right antibiotics are chosen. If it is a viral infection, there is no specific medicine available, you can take virus spirit, plate blue root punch, gold silver flower, etc. The fever of a viral infection will fall on its own in a certain time, so don’t fret because of the fever, and use all the drugs in one go.
Baby fever, do not mix drugs
It is important to weigh the pros and cons of giving your child fever-reducing medication. Of course, medication can improve your child’s condition and make him or her feel better; however, it is also likely to have some side effects. The World Health Organization recommends against the use of any fever-reducing medication for infants under 2 months of age. In general, medication should only be used for children with high fevers. The method and dosage of administration must be done according to the doctor’s instructions. We recommend: do not give your child fever-reducing medication until the body temperature exceeds 38.5 degrees Celsius. If your child has a past history of febrile convulsions, you may want to give him/her fever-reducing medication at 38 degrees Celsius.
It should be especially noted that many parents often give their children a mixture of different kinds of antipyretic drugs, some anxious parents, with oral medicine for half an hour did not reduce the fever, and add suppositories, however, the persistence of various drugs are different, mixed use may make the effect overlap. As a result, the fever is reduced too fiercely and too quickly, making the body temperature drop quickly to below 36 degrees Celsius. New problems arise. Parents can choose a kind of antipyretic medicine, familiar with its use of dose and interval, to use it can be comfortable.
The best way to reduce fever physically
In addition to medication to reduce fever, the use of some physical methods can also help to reduce the temperature of children with fever. The physical cooling methods commonly used at home are generally alcohol baths, ice pillows or warm water baths, so which method is most suitable for babies?
Alcohol rubbing is a common method to reduce fever, but now it is not advocated to use this method for babies, wiping the baby’s body with alcohol will cause rapid skin stretching and contraction of the child, the baby stimulation, in addition to the possibility of alcohol poisoning of small babies.
The use of ice pillows or ice on the forehead to reduce fever is often used by many parents. But children within six months should not use this method, because small babies are susceptible to external temperature, the use of ice pillows will cause the temperature to drop too quickly, making it difficult for the baby to adapt. In addition, the baby’s whole body temperature is elevated when the fever, the local ice can only have a local cooling effect, rather than warm water wipe the baby’s whole body effect is good.
Warm water rubbing bath is to use about 37 ℃ warm water towel to rub the child’s limbs and front chest and back. So that the high temperature of the skin (about 39 ℃) gradually reduced, so that the baby feel more comfortable. At this point, you can also use a slightly cooler towel (about 25 ℃) to wipe the forehead and face again. It is important to note: while these cooling treatments are being performed, if the child has so-called cold reactions such as cold hands and feet, shivering all over the body, and purple lips, stop immediately. Why? When the source of disease invades the body, the body temperature is raised to a corresponding temperature, which is the set temperature. Lowering the set temperature is the key to reducing fever in children. This is because if the set temperature is not changed, the body will still initiate thermogenesis to reach the target temperature while the heat is dissipated. At this point, bathing the child with cold water in an attempt to reduce the fever through heat dissipation will not only be ineffective, but will cause the child to shiver and chill, which is very painful.
Wear more or less?
When a baby has a fever, there is often a question that makes parents hesitate: should they wear more clothes to avoid shivering when they have a fever, or should they take off their clothes to help dissipate the heat? In fact, adding or removing clothes should match the fever process. When the set temperature is raised and the body temperature starts to rise, the child will feel cold, so a long-sleeved, breathable shirt should be added and antipyretic medicine can be given at the same time. Half an hour after taking the medicine, the medicine will start to take effect, the set temperature will be lowered, the body will start to dissipate heat, the child will sweat and feel hot, so you should reduce clothing or use a warm water bath to help reduce the fever.
Children should not eat more eggs when they have a fever
When a child has a fever, he or she usually has a poor appetite. At this time, a liquid, nutritious, light and easy-to-digest diet should be the mainstay, such as milk, lotus root powder and vegetable soup with little oil. When the body temperature drops and the appetite improves, it can be changed to semi-liquid, such as minced meat and vegetable porridge, noodles, soft rice with some easy-to-digest dishes. In addition, drink more warm water to increase the water in the body tissues, which has a stabilizing effect on the body temperature and can prevent the body temperature from rising rapidly again.
When a child has a fever, many parents feel that they should supplement the nutrition, so they give the child a lot of protein-rich eggs, which actually does not lower the body temperature, but increases the heat in the body, prompting the baby’s body temperature to rise, which is not conducive to the early recovery of the affected child.
Expert tips
A few simple ways to reduce fever
(1) Most babies have a fever caused by a cold, if the baby has a fever, cold hands and feet, white tongue, pale face, light urine color, parents can use ginger and brown sugar water to get rid of the cold, and add two or three one-inch long onion in the water, more favorable to the baby sweat.
(2) If the baby has a fever, sore throat, yellow tongue, yellow urine and heavy smell, indicating that the child’s internal heat is heavy, then you can not drink ginger sugar water, but should drink a lot of warm water, you can also add a small amount of salt in the water.
Some parents think that giving their children antipyretic drugs will suppress their immune function, but recent studies have shown that even after children take antipyretic drugs, the body’s defense system is still working and does not suppress immunity