When a child has a fever, many parents are anxious and frazzled and want to get their child to take medicine or go to the hospital right away. Why does a child have a fever? The normal body temperature of the human body has a more stable range, on average between 36 to 37 ℃ (armpit), above this range is fever, 37 ℃ – 38 ℃ is low fever, 38 ℃ a 39 ℃ is moderate fever, 39 ℃ a 40 ℃ is a high degree of fever, 40 ℃ or more is ultra-high fever. The human body temperature is lower in the morning, higher in the evening, higher when excited, lower when dazed …… This automatically adjustable central air conditioning is responsible for a department called “hypothalamus” located in the brain. Interestingly, this department is not only responsible for the constant temperature, when there is an invasion of foreign enemies, such as bacteria, viruses, the hypothalamus will turn up the temperature significantly to fight them! This is when we get a “fever”. The main causes of fever in children are not only bacterial and viral infections, but also over-dressing (often in infants) and immunizations. Some children also get a fever when they are teething. What are some of the misconceptions parents have about children’s fevers? Fever is a symptom, not a disease, but the real enemy is bacteria and viruses. When bacteria and viruses invade, the normal child’s body will use fever to resist infection by foreign pathogens, so fever actually shows that your child has a strong autoimmune defense system. So, unless in rare cases, the presence of a high fever during an infection is not an indicator to decide whether to go to the emergency room. 2, fever must take medicine Fever can help your child’s organism fight infection, so unless fever makes your child particularly uncomfortable, there is no need to take antipyretic medicine. Because taking antipyretic medicine does not bring the high temperature down to normal, it just makes the child feel more comfortable. For example, if your child has a fever of 38.5°C or higher and is feeling irritable, not sleeping or eating well, antipyretics will indeed make your child much more comfortable (he or she will start playing once the temperature drops a little) and will also reduce the risk of dehydration. If you decide to take your child to the pediatric clinic, you can take the fever reducer before you go, you don’t have to wait until the doctor has finished seeing them, because children are more cooperative with the pediatrician’s examination when they are comfortable, and only with a good examination can the doctor find the cause of the disease and treat it in a timely manner. The safe and affordable fever reducers that are widely used worldwide and recommended by the World Health Organization are two oral medications: acetaminophen and ibuprofen. Acetaminophen is a relatively safe antipyretic, and is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for infants and children over 3 months of age with high fever. Its antipyretic effect is proportional to the dose, but excessive doses can cause hepatotoxicity. Acetaminophen may cause acute hemolytic reactions in children with G-6-PD deficiency (sericea), so it should be used with caution in children with sericea. Representative drugs such as Tylenol, pediatric Benadryl, pediatric antipyretic suppositories, etc. Ibuprofen: It is another safe antipyretic drug, commonly used in doses of 5-10mg/kg (<400mg/day), taken once every 6 hours, up to 4 times a day. Adverse effects are mainly gastrointestinal bleeding, heartburn, nausea and vomiting. Representative drugs such as Merlin, Torn, etc. 3, fever can lead to brain damage Every normal brain has an inherent thermostatic mechanism that can prevent the body temperature from being too high and damaging the brain tissue. A normal child in general sickness fever will not lead to organ damage. 4, the higher the child's temperature the more serious the condition Some children have a high fever and are still running all over the place, while some children have a low fever but look depressed. Every child reacts differently to a fever, so regardless of the number on the thermometer, the point is to carefully observe your child for signs of serious illness. For example, how uncomfortable they are, whether they have energy, whether they may be dehydrated, etc. Once you have any concerns, you should take your child to the pediatrician. 5. Give only half the dose of fever-reducing medication According to the survey, more than half of parents give their children fever-reducing medication in inaccurate doses, including insufficient and excessive doses. Parents should remember: the dose of medication is based on the child's weight, not age. Always use the measuring device that comes with the medication; home made spoons and measuring spoons are often not accurate enough. Some parents say, "I really don't want to give my child medicine, so I only give half the amount." Please remember: half a measure won't do any good, and it's better not to give it at all. In short, if you think your child needs fever-reducing medicine, be sure to give the correct amount. Warm Tips: These fever facts only apply to children over 3 months of age and to common fevers. infants under 3 months of age are advised to take their children to the pediatrician as soon as they develop a fever. Don't "cover" your child with a fever, as this can prevent the body from dissipating heat and can lead to a rise in body temperature. Make sure your child's bedroom is at a moderate temperature. 2, some parents will use a warm bath to cool down, which is a way of physical cooling, but some children may feel uncomfortable when they take a bath when they have a fever, so don't force them if they reject this method. 3. Prohibit the use of alcohol or ice packs/cold baths (which can lead to chills and raise the body temperature instead). 4.Provide plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration, because fever makes children lose fluids more easily than usual. Plain water is a good choice. If your child has vomiting or diarrhea, consult your doctor if you need to supplement with electrolyte drinks for children. When is it necessary to take my child to the doctor? A sudden onset of fever in a child older than 3 months of age may be caused by some kind of illness. 2.A fever that lasts for more than 5 days may not be caused by a common cold, and the cause of the fever should be investigated. 3.The body temperature exceeds 39℃, and the fever does not subside even after 2 hours by applying acetaminophen or ibuprofen. 4.Children's behavior changes: such as not playing, rarely talking, no appetite, indifferent to the surrounding food. 5.Signs of dehydration appear: the number of diaper changes decreases in small infants or the number of urination decreases in older children. 6.After vaccination, if the body temperature exceeds 39℃ and the fever lasts for more than 24 hours, it is necessary to find a doctor to determine whether it is caused by a reaction to the vaccine. 7.Children have convulsions.