A. Must I go to the hospital if my baby has a fever? Once a baby has a fever, some parents are very worried and run to the hospital with their child in their arms, hoping to bring down the body temperature quickly. So in the season of high incidence of colds, hospitals are always “overcrowded”. Director Chen pointed out that in fact, 90% of children with fever do not need to go to the hospital, they can handle it at home, the hospital is crowded and may have the risk of cross-infection. However, there are some cases that should go to the hospital in time. 1. Children within 3 months of age with fever over 38°C should seek medical attention promptly. Because the number of immune antibodies from the mother is richer in this stage of the infant’s body and the ability to resist infection is stronger, a high fever may indicate a serious infection or an immune deficiency and should be promptly investigated at the hospital. 2.For children within 2 years old, persistent fever for more than 24 hours; for children over 2 years old, persistent fever for more than 3 days; they should go to the hospital promptly. Persistent high fever here means that the body temperature has never come down. 3. Any age with a temperature persistently over 40 degrees is also recommended to go to the hospital. In addition to temperature, parents should also keep an eye on their children’s other symptoms. It is common to have a slightly poor spirit and poor appetite after a fever, but if there is severe drowsiness or unusual mental irritability, seek prompt medical attention. If frequent vomiting, headache and stiff neck occur, encephalitis should be considered. Sore throat and earache may be due to tonsillitis and otitis media. A fever accompanied by an unexplained rash should alert you to infectious diseases such as measles, chicken pox, and scarlet fever. In addition, if a fever is accompanied by diarrhea, vomiting, etc., dehydration and electrolyte disorders are likely to occur. If you find that your child has sunken fontanelle, dry mouth, no urine, poor skin elasticity, etc., these are all danger signs of dehydration. All of the above “special symptoms” need our parents to pay high attention and seek medical attention in time, don’t be careless. Second, can babies with fever not take medicine? Many parents are reluctant to let their children take medicine, hoping to reduce fever through physical cooling, a “harmless” way. In fact, Director Chen stressed that the current evidence-based evidence at home and abroad proves that many traditional physical cooling methods do not significantly help reduce fever, and that antipyretic drugs are still the most effective means of reducing fever. Why are common physical cooling methods not advisable? 1. Sweating: Hoping to make your child sweat to cool down by keeping warm can actually cause fever syndrome, a metabolic disorder that can be fatal. The younger the child, the greater the risk. 2. 2. Alcohol baths: especially not recommended for babies under 2-3 years old. Because alcohol can be absorbed through the skin, the immaturity of the liver enzyme system of younger children, easy alcohol poisoning. 3. fever patches: Although the head will feel cooler after applying fever patches, but it has no effect on the substantial temperature drop, and is more of a psychological comfort. 4. warm water bath: there is a certain effect, but not as fast and effective as antipyretic drugs. As long as the use of children’s antipyretic preparations in strict compliance with medical advice or drug instructions, the safety is still very high. Question 3: How to take antipyretic drugs? There are two main types of fever reducers for children that are commonly used in families: acetaminophen and ibuprofen. Some parents are confused when using them: The instructions say to take them once every 4-6 hours. If the child’s temperature goes up again about 2 hours after taking the first dose, should I take another dose? Or should I take another dose after 4 hours? One characteristic of fever caused by viral colds is that the temperature tends to fluctuate, and parents worry about how to take additional medication when it goes up and down. In fact, the two commonly used antipyretic drugs for children can be taken alternately. For example, after the first dose of acetaminophen, if the child’s temperature rises again 2 hours later and parents are worried, they can take a dose of ibuprofen. Then, if the child’s temperature rises again, the child can take acetaminophen again, depending on the time of the first dose, plus 4-6 hours, and so on. As long as you follow the instructions in principle and do not violate the interval between doses of each drug, it is safe to take each drug no more than four times in a 24-hour period. In fact, most children do not need such frequent medication to reduce fever. Question 4: Why do you not advocate “hanging saline” to reduce fever? In recent years, with the increase in the concept of science, to the hospital to take the initiative to ask the child with a cold and fever “hanging saline” parents than before, but the child fever, many parents can still insist on the first two days, after 3 days will be a little unable to carry, asking doctors “or hanging saline it, so that the body temperature quickly down.” It is true that giving children fluids can immediately lower their temperature because rehydration can take away the heat from the body with the flow of fluids in the body and the discharge of fluids outside the body (urination, skin evaporation, exhalation, etc.). Therefore, the same principle is sometimes used clinically for children with high fever to lower the temperature through defecation. However, parents of children who often “hang saline” may find it difficult to reduce fever without fluids afterwards, thus falling into the strange circle of repeated fever and frequent hanging of fluids. In fact, fever is the process of children growing up and adapting to their environment and building the corresponding immune antibody system in their bodies. If you rely on external forces to help fight off every fever, you will not be able to develop the appropriate resistance yourself. Therefore, parents should not ask for infusion because they are anxious, but should let the professional physician judge and decide the treatment method. In addition, it must be stressed that most viral “colds” take 3-7 days or even about 10 days to run their course, so as long as the temperature is not above 40 degrees Celsius, parents actually do not have to worry too much. Finally, children with fever should be helped to hydrate in time, you can drink more water, you can also drink watermelon juice and other juices to diuretic, help cool down. When the fever is high, the stomach and intestines are also in “high fever”, digestion and absorption ability becomes weak, may let the child’s stomach and intestines rest rest, fever in these days eat some light diet, do not have to force nutrition. You should still pay attention to strengthening the body, you can do more sunbathing, air bath.