If a small child has a high fever, many parents, especially young ones, start to panic, try to bring her down by all possible means or call an ambulance. In this article, we will consider the main questions that arise for parents if the child has a fever.
How to bring down the heat in children?
Before answering this question, it is necessary to find out whether it is necessary to bring it down at all.
What is fever? This is the reaction of the body to the processes occurring in it. In children, especially infants, it can be caused by a disease - an infection, a cold - or cutting teeth. An elevated temperature indicates that the body itself fights the disease by producing antibodies. Sometimes the lack of temperature can be even worse than its presence. In case of illness, the absence of temperature indicates low immunity and lack of body resistance. Before you bring down the heat in children, make sure that it is really necessary. For kids, getting sick is commonplace. This is due to the lack of immunity to many, even the simplest infections. What the adult body can handle effortlessly for children will go through with temperature.
Is it worth it to bring down the temperature 38?
We are used to thinking that normal body temperature is 36.6. Putting a thermometer in the child’s mouth, we see a temperature of 37 and we start to panic, although his temperature is normal, and we did not take into account that it also depends on the place of measurement.
Normal temperature for different types of thermometers:
- Rectal measurement (for infants) - 37.5 degrees.
- The oral measurement is 37 degrees.
- Axillary measurement - 36.6 degrees.
Before carrying out procedures to lower the temperature, we assess the condition of the child. When to take action to lower the temperature:
- The temperature is above 38.5 and continues to rise
- Before you bring down the heat in children, make sure that it gives the child inconvenience. For example, he refuses to eat, drink, is naughty and complains of pain.
- He has pale skin and convulsions - in this case, be sure to call an ambulance.
- The high temperature has not subsided for several days.
- The child has difficulty breathing.
In all these cases, especially if the temperature does not go away for several days, consult a doctor to find out the causes of the disease. Remember, it is a signal about more serious problems in the baby, and it is necessary to treat not the effect (temperature), but the cause of the disease.
How to bring down the temperature of a child (1 year)?
If the temperature has risen to around 39, but does not cause the child much concern, it can be brought down by non-pharmacological methods at 1 or 1.5 degrees. What to do:
- Give your child a lot to drink, but in small parts. The drink should be warm (5 - 6 degrees below body temperature).
- Since you can bring down the high temperature in children without medication, try rubbing it with warm water below body temperature, but not cold, and you can also bathe it.
- If the child has chills, wrap him up.
- Wipe with warm water and vinegar. In warm water, add a little vinegar and wipe them with palms, feet, hands, legs, chest, belly, back - in that order. This should be done towards the heart.
If the fever is still holding and causing inconvenience, medications can be used. Now there are many drugs that will help to delicately and effectively lower the temperature. For the smallest - these are candles, for older children - syrups and tablets. Their main active ingredient is paracetamol, ibuprofen can also cope very well with lowering the temperature.
Attention! In no case give the child aspirin! After taking it in childhood, there is a risk of developing Reye's syndrome - an extremely dangerous condition.
After lowering the temperature, be sure to find out the reason for its increase, so as not to miss a really serious illness, in which the child may need urgent medical attention. Be sure to call a doctor.