Treatment for fever in child: Home Treatment and When to See a Doctor

28.05.202128.07.2023 by alexxlab

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Home Treatment and When to See a Doctor

Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Fever is an increase in the body’s temperature above normal. Body temperature is usually lowest in the morning and goes up through the day. Each person’s body temperature can be different. It is hard to give an exact temperature for a fever, but most health care providers agree that a fever is a temperature of 100.4˚ Fahrenheit (F) or 38˚ Celsius (C) or higher.

Fevers can show that the body is fighting an infection from a virus or bacteria. It can also happen after getting a vaccine, from getting overheated, or from a very bad sunburn. Many times, the fever does not need to be treated and will go away on its own.

How to Take a Temperature

The type of thermometer used may make a difference.

To take a temperature, use a digital thermometer. Never use a mercury thermometer.
Rectal (in baby’s bottom) thermometers are the most accurate.
Forehead (temporal artery) thermometers are the next best choice if used the right way.
Oral (mouth) and ear (tympanic) thermometers can be used if done properly. For oral temperatures, wait 30 minutes after drinking something hot or cold. For ear, wait 15 minutes after coming in from the cold.
Lastly, an axillary (armpit) temperature can be used as a quick check but it is not very accurate.

The best ways to check your child’s temperature depends on their age.

Under 3 months: rectal or forehead thermometers
4 months or older: rectal, forehead, or axillary thermometers
Older than 6 months: rectal, forehead, ear, or axillary thermometers

4 years old or older: oral (mouth), forehead, ear, or axillary thermometers

Be sure to tell your child’s health care provider which method you used.

Home Treatment

A fever may not need to be treated unless your child is uncomfortable. Even higher temperatures are not usually dangerous unless they have a long-term illness.

Dress your child in light clothing. Over dressing them can trap the body’s heat and make the temperature go higher.
- Babies under age 1: Dress them in a sleep sack or wearable blanket. Do not put loose blankets over them.
- Children over age 1: While sleeping, cover them with a sheet or light blanket.
Give extra fluids.
- Babies under age 1: Continue to give breast milk and formula. They should not be given water. If they are older than 6 months, you can give Pedialyte®.
- Children over age 1: Offer extra liquids to drink, like water, diluted 100% juice, popsicles, or Pedialyte.
Your child may not want to eat much. Offer soft foods often and in small amounts but do not force them to eat.
Give sponge baths or let your child soak in a tub. Water should be lukewarm, not too hot or cold. Use a wash cloth to sponge the water over your child’s body (Picture 1).
- Do NOT add alcohol to the water. It can be dangerous.
- Recheck your child’s temperature 15 minutes after the bath. If the temperature is 103˚F (39.4˚C) or is going higher, repeat the sponge bath.
Over-the-counter medicines can help lower a fever. Read the label on the bottle to know the right dose for your child.
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol^®) may be used in all children over 2 months.
- Ibuprofen (Advil^®, Motrin^®) may be used in children over 6 months.
- Do NOT give aspirin to children (Picture 2). Aspirin has been linked to a disease called Reye’s syndrome, which can be fatal.

When to Call the Health Care Provider

Call your child’s health care provider right away if your child:

Is younger than 3 months of age and has a temperature of 100. 4˚F (38˚C) or higher.
Is older than 3 months and has a temperature:
- Of 104 ˚F (40 ˚C) or above.
- Above 102˚F (38.9˚C) for more than 2 days or keeps coming back.
- That has been treated to bring it down, but it has not worked.
At any age, has a fever and:
- Looks very ill, is very fussy, or very drowsy.
- Is not eating or drinking and shows signs of dehydration – dry or sticky mouth, sunken eyes, dark urine, dry diapers, or not urinating.
- Has a stiff neck, bad headache, very sore throat, painful stomach ache, vomiting, or diarrhea.
- Has an unusual rash
- Has been in a very hot place, such as an overheated car.
- Has immune system problems that make them more likely to get sick, such as sickle cell disease or cancer, or takes a medicine that weakens the immune system.

Call 911 or go to the emergency department if your child has trouble breathing, has a seizure, or is hard to wake up.

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What to Do When Your Kid Has a Fever

Written by R. Morgan Griffin

What You Should Do
What You Shouldn’t Do
When Should You Call the Doctor?
Tips to Take Your Child’s Temperature

If you’re a parent, it’s a scene that’s all too familiar. You put your hand on your sick child’s forehead and it feels warm. Then the thermometer confirms your suspicion: They’ve got a fever. But if you follow some simple rules you’ll make them more comfortable and keep them safe.

Fever is a defense against infection. Your child’s body is raising its temperature to kill the germs. In most cases it’s harmless and goes away on its own in 3 days.

Acetaminophen can lower your child’s temperature. If they’re older than 2, the dose will be listed on the label. If they’re younger, ask your doctor how much to give them.

Another option is ibuprofen if your child is at least 6 months old.

There’s a lot you can do to make them feel better. Put a cool compress on their head and keep their room at a moderate temperature — not too hot and not too cold. Dress them in one layer of light clothing and offer a light blanket. You can also cool them off with a lukewarm sponge bath.

And don’t forget — make sure they drink a lot of fluids.

Never give your child aspirin. It can cause a serious condition called Reye’s syndrome.

Avoid combination cold and flu remedies in young kids. They shouldn’t be used in children under age 4. In older kids, it’s unclear how well they work.

If you decide to use a cold medicine, check with your pediatrician to be sure your child is old enough for the type of medicine you’re considering. According to the FDA, no child under the age of 2 should be given any kind of cough or cold product that contains a decongestant or antihistamine, and caution should be used even in children who are older than 2. In addition, no child under 4 years of age should be given a product that combines cough and cold medicines. The possible side-effects can be serious and even life-threatening.

If the doctor says it’s OK to use a cough or cold medicine, then read the label before you buy and pick the one that most closely matches your child’s symptoms. Don’t switch back and forth between different medications without your pediatrician’s OK.

Don’t use an icy cold bath or rub your child’s skin with alcohol. Either can actually drive a fever up.

And even if your child has the chills, don’t bundle them up with thick blankets or clothes.

Usually, you don’t need to take your sick child to the doctor. But sometimes fever can be a serious warning sign. Call your pediatrician if your child:

Has a temperature of 104 F or higher
Is under 3 months old and has a temperature of 100.4 F or higher
Has a fever that lasts for more than 72 hours (or more than 24 hours if your child is under age 2)
Has a fever along with other symptoms such as a stiff neck, extremely sore throat, ear pain, rash, or severe headache
Has a seizure
Seems very sick, upset, or unresponsive

How often do you need to check? That depends on the situation. Ask your pediatrician. Usually, you don’t need to take your child’s temperature obsessively or wake them up if they’re sleeping peacefully. But you should do it if their energy seems low or if your child has a history of seizures with fever.

Which thermometer is best for kids? Digital ones are best. They can be used in their mouth, rectally, or under the arm.

For young children, a rectal temperature is most accurate. If your kids are at least 4 or 5 years old, you can probably get a good reading with a thermometer in the mouth. Under the arm is less reliable but it’s easier to do. Remember to add a degree to an underarm reading to get a more accurate number.

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types, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, clinical recommendations

Fever is insidious: it may not threaten the child’s health at all, or it may be a symptom of a transient dangerous infection. When the temperature rises, you should understand the situation, find the cause and constantly monitor the changes.

Heat exchange in children is somewhat different than in adults. At birth, all babies have a special brown fat, which is quickly replaced by ordinary white fatty tissue. Brown fat contains many mitochondria. They interact with fatty acids and release heat when needed. Since babies are very vulnerable in the first days of life, this mechanism protects them from hypothermia.

In the course of life, the mechanisms of heat transfer in children continue to change, they become more and more similar to the thermoregulation of adults. In fact, the final development of the system ends only by 8 years. Until this age, children lose heat worse and at the same time produce it better. Because of this feature, overheating is more dangerous for the baby, and the entire thermoregulation system is much less stable. Temperature jumps in children happen often, and the reasons can be very different.

What is fever

Body temperature above 37°C is considered hyperthermia, i.e. fever. When measuring temperature in the rectum, fever is considered to be above 38°C.

The mechanism of fever is as follows: pyrogens, substances that stimulate fever, provoke the release of anti-inflammatory substances. Pyrogens are most often of an infectious nature. They act on the thermoregulatory center, which becomes less sensitive to thermal impulses. The whole system is rebuilt to work at a higher level: heat production increases and heat transfer decreases, which leads to a general increase in body temperature.

At the same time, many viruses and bacteria in such a “heat” reduce the rate of reproduction, and the immune system increases the synthesis of antibodies. The activity of leukocytes, inflammatory cells, also increases. At its core, an increase in temperature is a protective reaction of the body, which allows you to quickly defeat the infection and activate the immune system.

Symptoms of fever in children

An increase in body temperature immediately affects the well-being of the child. The skin becomes hot, wet, the baby has weakness, chills, headache, he cries. If the fever is severe, then delirium, confusion and convulsions are possible.

Clinically, fever in children is divided into “pink” and “pale”.

The first is the most common and relatively harmless. It is provoked mainly as a reaction to an infection, despite the high numbers on the thermometer, the child usually feels fine. At the same time, the baby’s skin is red, hot, moist, legs and arms remain warm. The higher the temperature, the more often the child begins to breathe, the pulse quickens.

Pale fever is much more dangerous. Due to vasospasm, the skin turns white, may be covered with “marble” cyanotic spots. The skin is hot, but dry, the child hardly sweats. Hands and feet are cold, shortness of breath may begin. There are problems with pressure: it rises sharply, and then can drop almost to a state of shock. At the same time, the child is excessively lethargic, it is impossible to wake him up. Or, on the contrary, overexcited, he is disturbed by hallucinations and delirium.

“Pale” fever is characteristic of severe bacterial infections. It requires special attention, as it can cause serious complications.

Causes of fever in children

The body temperature of young children is unstable. It can fluctuate from emotional overexcitation, fatigue. At an older age, hormonal failure during puberty can also cause fever.

But the main causes are various infections. Injuries, internal hemorrhages, burns and bruises, overheating in the sun and dehydration can also cause fever. The reasons can be very serious: tumors, genetic diseases, hormonal disorders.

Fever is usually accompanied by a sharp short rise in temperature, which is stopped by drugs, but can last for several hours. There are long-term conditions, while the temperature rises slightly, but often. One such example is thermoneurosis. To determine the exact cause, you need to call a pediatrician (1).

Treatment of fever in children

Almost always the body temperature rises as a reaction to an infection: bacteria, viruses. In some cases, there are few specific symptoms at the very beginning of the disease (for example, with meningococcal infection). At the same time, the disease develops rapidly and in some cases can even lead to death, so you should always pay increased attention to fever.

Treatment will be specific, aimed at eliminating the source of infection. For this, depending on the cause, antibiotics, antiviral drugs, as well as their own immune forces can be used. To reduce the temperature with threatening numbers, antipyretics are used in various forms. Dosage and choice of drug depend on the age of the child.

Photo: @karolina-grabowska, pexels. com

A slight and short-term increase in temperature may be associated with nervous tension, overheating, teething. It is important to know that the very fact of teething cannot cause a significant jump in temperature – normally this process is quite natural and does not cause fever. If you are teething and have a high fever, it is almost certainly not your teeth that are causing you to relax (2). You need to establish the cause, remember what happened before the rise in temperature, which could cause a fever. If it is overheating, the child should be moved to a cool place, give water, cool the head, wipe the body with water. Do not wipe the skin with alcohol, vodka or too cold water and ice. Severe cold constricts blood vessels and heat transfer is still reduced, the body cannot cool. And alcohol can be partially absorbed through the skin, its vapors adversely affect the baby.

The temperature can drop badly from dehydration, so sometimes you even have to force a sick child to drink. There is a special formula, according to which, with each degree of excess temperature, the volume of liquid that needs to be taken increases. For every degree of elevated temperature, 10 ml of water per kilogram of the child’s weight is added.

Diagnostics

Various thermometers, including mercury and electronic, are used to measure temperature. The latter are not very accurate, the error in degrees in individual models can be large. Mercury thermometers must be used very carefully so as not to break.

Temperature in children is measured under the arm, in the groin or in the rectum. Shake the thermometer to 35°C, wipe it with a disinfectant and insert it under the arm or into the skin fold (it must first be wiped) in the groin. You need to hold the thermometer by pressing the bent arm or leg of the child for about 10 minutes.

The most accurate way is to measure the temperature in the rectum. In children under 2 years old, this is the main method. Rectal temperature is always higher than on the surface of the body. Normal rectal temperature is considered to be 37.3-37.7. Before the measurement, it will not be superfluous to do a cleansing enema, but you can do without it. The thermometer must first be disinfected, the tip should be lubricated with petroleum jelly and inserted into the rectum to a depth of no more than 5 cm. Then squeeze the child’s buttocks with your hands and hold for about 5 minutes.

Modern methods of treatment

The most reliable way to quickly reduce the temperature is to take antipyretic drugs. They are also called antipyretics.

Do not give such medicines at every temperature jump, and even more so as a preventive measure – it will not work. Usually, antipyretics are used after 38-39 ° C, before this threshold the child feels quite well, and a slight fever helps to cope with the disease.

When convulsions appear, under the age of 2 months, with very poor health, you need to focus on the child’s feelings, and not on a thermometer. Sometimes antipyretics are required for mild fever, and sometimes a temperature of 39°C the child tolerates normally.

The fever should subside within about half an hour after taking the drug. If the antipyretic in the form of tablets, gels and syrups was ineffective, intramuscular or intravenous injections are usually administered. Persistent fever, which is not stopped for a long time by drugs, is the reason for calling an ambulance. Hospitalization may be required (3).

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Prevention of fever in children at home

Fever is possible with any infectious disease (4). It’s impossible to avoid it. It is only necessary to monitor the condition of the child, do not wrap him in blankets, give a sufficient amount of liquid.

When the fever subsides, there will be active sweating, all clothes and bedding may become wet. To make the child more comfortable and not get sick even more, change clothes more often.

Note to parents: Emergencies in children

The New Year holidays are behind us, weekdays have begun. We hope you had a good rest and spent a wonderful time with your family and loved ones.

Before the New Year holidays, we published tips and reminders for parents on the safety of children during the holidays. However, you need to think about the safety of the baby not only during the holidays, so we decided to remind you of the importance of emergency care in dangerous conditions for the child. Let’s talk about this with the pediatrician of the children’s clinic “Mother and Child-IDK” Pikuleva Olga Vladimirovna.

“Of course, in the event of an emergency, first of all, my recommendation would be – call an ambulance so that your baby is examined by a doctor. Meanwhile, medical workers cannot always arrive very quickly, this problem is especially relevant in large multi-million cities. In some cases, even before the ambulance arrives, parents must take the measures necessary to save the child’s life.In this article, we will tell you what emergency conditions are in children, and how to properly provide first aid in an emergency, based on professional advice.

For children with an emergency, the first aid that should be provided before medical personnel arrives is usually as follows: One of the conditions that children may need first aid for is hypothermia . Of course, if the baby’s cheeks, ears, nose, arms or legs are frozen, nothing terrible has happened, and there is absolutely no need to call a doctor. If, along with hypothermia, the baby has symptoms such as blanching or blue skin, increased heart rate and breathing, or muscle tremors, and also if the baby has become lethargic, weak and indifferent to everything, medical help should be sought immediately. Before the arrival of medical workers, it is necessary to completely undress the baby and attach his body to the body of an adult. From above, you can put on a warm scarf or scarf and gently rub the baby’s limbs with your palms. If it is still a baby, you can try to feed it with mother’s milk or adapted milk formula. It is not recommended to take any other actions before the arrival of the doctors.

Another of the most common emergency conditions in a baby is overheating . Do not forget that young children do not yet have a perfect thermoregulation system, so they overheat and hypothermia much faster than their parents. Overheating or heat stroke can be caused by direct exposure to the sun, insufficient fluid intake, clothing that is too warm, or excessive humidity. Symptoms of this disease, in which it is necessary to call an ambulance, are headache, increased breathing and heart rate, vomiting and nausea, pallor, general weakness, limitation of motor activity and a significant increase in body temperature. In some cases, heat stroke can even lead to loss of consciousness. In such a situation, you should also call an ambulance as soon as possible, and before it arrives, undress the baby, move it to a cool place and put it so that the legs are slightly higher than the head. To reduce the temperature, you can make various lotions and compresses, as well as wipe the baby’s torso with cold water, no medicines should be given before the doctors arrive. If the child does not refuse, it is necessary to give him ordinary non-carbonated water as often as possible.

Fever usually occurs as a result of inflammation in the body, the penetration of infectious agents into it or the release of specific substances, fever mediators, including as a response to vaccination of the body. In this case, there is a change in the mechanisms of thermoregulation and, as a result, an increase in temperature. Although this is a protective reaction of the body, but with it, for every degree of fever, the heart rate increases by 10 beats and the load on the body increases. Therefore, fever always requires attention from parents and sometimes the provision of emergency active assistance. According to modern data, it is required to bring down the temperature only if the state is disturbed or the numbers rise above 38.5 degrees, in the presence of severe chronic pathologies or febrile convulsions that have previously occurred. If the child tolerates even high temperatures relatively well, you just need to give him the opportunity to have a temperature and cope with the infection on his own, carefully monitoring his condition.

Depending on the type of fever – white or red , the help will also differ. With red fever, you can not bring down the temperature to 38.5 and above, provided it is well tolerated, with white fever with vasospasm, therapy should be started immediately. Children with fever are given antipyretics in different forms, depending on age, but these should be drugs based on paracetamol or nurofen. They are dosed according to age and body weight, usually the calculation is indicated on the box. With white fever, it is also necessary to take antispasmodics – “Papaverine” or “no-shpa” Non-drug methods will also help – with a red form, rubbing with a damp towel with water at room temperature, and with a white one – rubbing the legs and hands with applying heating pads with warm water to them . It is necessary to undress the child and ensure coolness in the room, cover the child with a blanket when chilly. At a very high temperature, before the arrival of doctors, cold compresses can be applied in the area of large vessels – in the area of \u200b\u200bthe elbows, armpits, popliteal and inguinal folds. You can not rub the child with alcohol, vinegar or vodka. It is necessary to drink a lot of the child so that he sweats and the body cools down. If, with all your efforts, the temperature does not go down, it is better to call an ambulance and examine the child.

Bleeding of varying severity is especially common in children. As a rule, no special therapy is required for minor abrasions and scratches, however, in some situations, serious blood loss can even threaten the life of the baby. First aid for young children in emergencies, accompanied by significant loss of blood, is as follows: the baby should be laid so that the wound from which blood oozes is located above the level of the heart. Next, on the damaged skin, you need to attach a sterile napkin and press it firmly with your palms. Then the napkin should be replaced, tightly, but not strongly, bandaged and applied to the wound with a pressure bandage

Some parents are faced with such a phenomenon in their baby as convulsions. As a rule, in such a situation, the baby suddenly freezes with outstretched limbs, and after that there is a short-term loss of consciousness, accompanied by involuntary contractions of the baby’s arms and legs. Often an attack is accompanied by blue lips, the appearance of foam coming from the mouth, rolling eyes and other extremely unpleasant symptoms that often frighten young parents. In most cases, the cause of seizures lies in a significant increase in body temperature. This condition is very dangerous and requires an immediate medical examination, so an ambulance should be called as soon as possible. In this case, nothing can be done before the arrival of medical workers, just make sure that the baby in convulsions does not hit or get hurt

If the baby suddenly faints , regardless of the cause that provoked fainting, the following recommendations should be followed: first of all, splash cold water on his face. Then, at a distance of 5 centimeters from the spout, hold a cotton swab abundantly moistened with ammonia for 2-3 seconds; I do not recommend bringing the cotton wool too close.

One of the most dangerous medical emergencies in children requiring urgent treatment is entry of a foreign object into the respiratory tract . Little kids love to put everything in their mouths and try it on their teeth, so it is very important to make sure that there are no small parts among the baby’s toys that he could swallow. Despite the fact that parents in most cases pay special attention to the choice of toys, various foreign objects enter the respiratory organs of babies quite often. As a rule, in such a situation, the baby begins to turn blue, suffocate, cannot scream, tries to cough, but to no avail, makes characteristic whistling sounds. Naturally, in this state of affairs, it is necessary to call emergency medical care as soon as possible. Much here depends on the correct tactics of the actions of parents. Place your son or daughter breast-feeding in your palm, so that his face looks down. With the thumb and forefinger of one hand, firmly grasp the baby’s lower jaw. Sit on a chair, and place the hand with which you hold the child on the knee or thigh. Hold the baby so that his head is lower than his torso. Then, with your free palm, sharply hit the baby on the back in the area between the shoulder blades 4 times. Turn the baby over and press hard with your fingers just below his nipples for 5 seconds. Alternate these movements until you manage to remove a foreign object, or until qualified medical assistance is provided.

In all of the above situations, first aid can be very important for preserving not only the health, but also the life of a small child. Unfortunately, many mothers and fathers in the presence of danger simply panic and forget even the most basic things.

Children are very active and, left unattended by their parents, can fall from various heights – from small chairs to quite large heights. At the same time, any fall is accompanied by fear and worries of parents about the health of the child. However, in cases where children fall, it is important to restrain their emotions and immediately take active steps to assess the situation and provide first or emergency care to the child. In this case, first aid will depend on the specific situation in which the injury occurred. First of all, falls from a height are a particular danger and characteristic features; at an early age, the greatest risk of injury is in the head area, since it is the heaviest in children and they fall head down. In this case, the parietal region becomes the most frequent zone of damage.

We will give you general instructions, but it is worth remembering that each injury and each child is unique, you need to evaluate both the type of injury, the height of the fall and other factors. There are general first aid measures given to children in cases of injury from falls. So, if the child falls from any height, you need to put the child on his back, while he should be laid on the floor or on a hard bed without pillows. If you need to move away from the child, you need to put him on the side, turning his face down. If the head is injured, do not soothe the child in such ways as applying to the chest or motion sickness, as well as drinking liquids. It is important for relatively high falls to immediately call a doctor or an ambulance to examine the child. Apply a cold compress to the impact site. If there is an abrasion or wound at the site of impact, you must first stop the bleeding with a clean, dry cloth, and only then apply cold compresses. In no case should children be given any sedatives or painkillers before the arrival of the doctors, and it is important that the child does not fall asleep before the arrival of the doctors – shake him gently, talk to him, do not let him fall asleep.

Treatment for fever in child: Home Treatment and When to See a Doctor

Home Treatment and When to See a Doctor

Home Treatment

When to Call the Health Care Provider

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Note to parents: Emergencies in children

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