fever in children; Causes and ways to treat child fever

A fever may help fight infection, but it can also bother a child....A high fever in a child is not always the best indicator of whether or not the child needs treatment or evaluation....Instead, it is important to pay attention to the child's behavior and appearance....Fever is usually accompanied by other symptoms....Some of these symptoms should be checked by a doctor even if

Learn more: What causes a fever? What is it?

When should we see a doctor?

If you see the following, be sure to see a pediatrician:

• Children under three months whose rectal temperature is above 38 degrees Celsius or more, regardless of the baby's appearance..... These patients should not receive antipyretic drugs, including acetaminophen, until they consult their doctor.
• Children between three months and three years who have a rectal temperature of 38°C or higher for more than three days, or who appear ill (e.g., nervous or aggressive and unable to drink fluids).
• Children three to 36 months of age with rectal temperatures of 102 degrees Fahrenheit (9.38 degrees Celsius) or higher.
• Children of any age with an oral, anal, or forehead temperature of 104°F (40°C) or higher or an axillary temperature of 103°F (4.39°C) or higher.
Children of any age who have seizures with fever... A febrile seizure is a seizure that occurs when a child's body temperature is above 4,100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).
• Children of any age who have frequent fevers for more than seven days, even if the fever lasts only a few hours.
• Children of any age who have a fever and a chronic illness such as heart disease, cancer, lupus, or sickle cell anemia.
• Children who have skin rashes with fever.

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Recommendations for the treatment of fever in children

If a child has an underlying medical problem, such as heart, lung, brain, or nervous system disease, fever treatment is recommended. In children who have had febrile seizures in the past, fever treatment does not prevent seizures, but it is still a reasonable precaution.

There is no need to treat fever in children

In most cases, there is no need to treat a child's fever.. A child older than three months who has a rectal temperature of less than 102°F (9.38°C) but still looks healthy and is acting normally does not need treatment for a fever...Parents who are unsure whether their child's fever needs treatment should contact their child's doctor..

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Table of fever in infants and children

In the table below, we will examine in detail how parents function based on the child's age and degree of fever:

Fever treatment methods in children

To treat fever in children, the cause of the child's fever must be determined first.. In most cases, the fever may go away on its own without treatment..

1... Medicines

Fever reducers should be taken only as needed and should be discontinued after symptoms disappear.. The most effective way to treat a fever in children is to use medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.. These medications can lower a child's body temperature by 2 to 3 degrees Fahrenheit.. 1 to 1 degree Celsius..

Acetaminophen may be given every four to six hours if needed, but should not To be prescribed more than five times in a 24-hour period.... Acetaminophen should not be used in children under three months without consulting a doctor... Acetaminophen dose should be calculated based on the child's weight (not his age).. Months old... Ibuprofen dose should be calculated based on the child's weight (not his age).

Using acetaminophen and ibuprofen together or every other day increases the chance of side effects and is therefore not usually recommended.

acetaminophen dosage

The table below shows the amount of acetaminophen needed by the child's weight:

Ibuprofen dosage

Using the table below, you can calculate the amount of ibuprofen a child needs according to his age:

2.... increasing liquid consumption

Fever can increase a child's risk of dehydration....To reduce this risk, parents should encourage their child to drink enough fluids....Children with fever may not feel hungry and do not need to be forced to eat....however, fluids such as milk (cow's milk or breast milk), formula, and water should be given frequently...

Older children can eat jelly, soup or ice cream.. If the child does not want to drink liquids or cannot eat anything for more than a few hours, parents should consult the child's doctor.

3.... rest

Fever makes most children feel tired and achy.... During this time, parents should encourage their child to rest as much as they want.... If the child starts to recover, there is no need to force him to sleep or rest.... If the child's body temperature remains within the normal range for 24 hours, the child can return to school or other activities.

4... bathing and brushing

Lifting is not as effective as fever medicine for the body and is generally not recommended.... Alcohol should not be used for this purpose, because it may cause poisoning if it is absorbed by the skin.

5.... home care

If your febrile child seems happy and healthy, resting at home is enough and you don't need to take any special action...

• Feverish children often do not want to eat, but try to encourage them to drink water and healthy fluids in small amounts and often. This helps to keep the body hydrated.
• Give babies under 6 months breast milk, milk powder with very low heat or cool boiled water.
To cool the child's body, use a towel or a sponge dipped in lukewarm (relatively cool) water... draw the towel on his forehead, chest, hands and feet... (using cold water for this is not recommended)
• When your child has a fever, dress him in light clothes and do not use blankets to cover him.
• If the baby starts shivering, keep him warm until the shivering stops...but then reduce the number of clothes.
• If the child vomits fever medicine or pain reliever, use acetaminophen suppository....consult the doctor or pharmacist about the suppository dosage and how to use it.
• Take your child's temperature every four hours or whenever you feel his fever has risen.

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Forbidden drugs during fever in children

The use of aspirin is one of the dangerous drugs for children with fever.... These days, with the onset of the cold season and the exacerbation of diseases such as influenza, which are associated with fever, the possibility of arbitrary use of drugs to reduce fever in children will be very high....

In addition to all the drugs that can reduce the severity of fever, aspirin is on the list of drugs that should not be given to a child with a fever.... because this drug can cause severe liver failure and death in children.... Therefore, the use of aspirin is not recommended for children under 18 years old due to the concern of developing a rare but serious syndrome called Reye's Syndrome..

Concluding remarks

If you are not sure about the cause of fever in a child, avoid self-medication and consult a pediatrician as soon as possible... In this article, we introduced you to the main cause of fever, its symptoms and treatment methods.. Use href="https://gcorp.cc/">GCORP LLC.

Frequently Asked Questions

Source: drugs mayoclinic