Fever is an experience that everyone must have in their life. It is a physiological reaction to the invasion of external infectious sources, and in essence, it is not harmful to the human body, as fever indicates that the body has certain immune fighting ability, and the discomfort it causes is often a warning sign of abnormal health, reminding everyone to see a doctor. However, the physiological characteristics of pregnant women and fetuses are different from those of the general public, so how should a pregnant woman take care of herself when she has a fever to ensure the health of her mother and fetus? Pregnant women should pay special attention when their body temperature exceeds 38.5°C. In general, if the body temperature is higher than 37°C, it can be called a fever; however, the general public may have to wait until the body temperature is higher than 38°C before they can obviously feel a rise in body temperature and feel unwell. A pregnant woman’s body temperature is higher than that of the general population because her metabolic rate is faster and her body temperature is slightly higher than usual by 0.5°C. Therefore, if a pregnant woman’s body temperature rises above 37.5°C, she should consider the possibility of having a fever; if her body temperature exceeds 38.5°C, she should pay special attention to it. The causes of fever can be roughly divided into three categories: First, infectious diseases, including infections caused by viruses, bacteria and other pathogens, and almost all infectious diseases can cause fever. Secondly, fever caused by tumor, especially stage tumor will show fever symptoms. Third, autoimmune diseases, such as lupus erythematosus, can also cause fever. The common causes of fever in pregnant women include: upper respiratory tract infection (such as viral cold, tracheobronchitis, etc.), urinary tract infection, gastroenteritis, etc. The three principles of fever treatment for pregnant women Principle 1: In addition to finding the cause of the fever, it is necessary for pregnant women to reduce the fever moderately, as fever often increases the mother’s metabolic rate and can combine with many uncomfortable symptoms, such as headache, loss of appetite, general lethargy, palpitations and even dehydration, which increases the burden on the heart and lung function of pregnant women. Principle 2: If the pregnant woman’s body temperature is not higher than 38.5 ℃, and no obvious symptoms of discomfort, you can consider physical methods to help reduce fever, such as: ice pillows, heat patches, warm water wipe, etc. Principle 3: However, if the body temperature is higher than 38.5℃ and combined with uncomfortable symptoms, you can consider using medication to assist, which will have a better effect in reducing fever. Pregnancy medication selection Grade A drugs: safe for pregnant women and not harmful to the embryo or fetus, such as moderate amounts of vitamins. Class B drugs: safe for pregnant women and basically harmless to the fetus, such as penicillin, erythromycin, digoxin, insulin, etc. Class C drugs: only proved to be teratogenic to the fetus or can kill the embryo in animal experimental research, but not confirmed in human research, pregnant women need to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of using drugs, and only apply them when the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, such as gentamicin, promethazine, isoniazid, etc. Class D drugs: There is definite evidence of harm to the fetus, and unless the pregnant woman has absolute effect after using the drugs, they should not be considered for application, such as streptomycin sulfate (can lead to fetal hearing loss, etc.), tetracycline hydrochloride (causes cleft palate or anencephaly in the fetus), etc. They should be used only as a last resort. Class X drugs: can cause fetal abnormalities and are prohibited during pregnancy, such as methotrexate, hexestrol, etc. During pregnancy, try to use A and B grade drugs that have been clinically proven to be non-teratogenic for many years. Fever and fetal health If a mild fever is transient, it is generally not harmful to the mother or the fetus, although some studies have found that during the 5-6 weeks of pregnancy (3-4 weeks of conception), the period of neural tube development, if the pregnant woman’s body temperature is higher than 38.9°C and lasts for more than 24 hours, it increases the chance of neural tube defects (e.g., anencephaly) in the fetus. Very few pregnant women will allow their temperature to rise this high and last this long without treatment. It is important to reiterate that the cause of the fever itself is more important than the fever in terms of harm to the mother and the fetus. If you cannot figure out the cause of the fever, it is recommended that you seek medical advice as soon as possible.