What should I do if my baby has a fever? This is the right way to cook

Babies who are just 4-6 months old have a weak immune system and are easily infected with bacterial diseases. How can we effectively solve this problem? Let's take a look at how to make your baby healthier and happier.

Generally speaking, babies are most likely to have a fever between the ages of 2-5 and are in kindergarten. It is common for babies to have a fever more than 5-6 times a year, but many parents rush to the emergency room as soon as they see their children have a high temperature, even 2-3 times a day. This is actually unnecessary. Here are some things parents should pay attention to when their children have a fever at home.

Fever definition:

The core body temperature (ear temperature or rectal temperature) is greater than 38 degrees.

1. Newborn baby has fever:

Because newborn babies have thinner and more curved ear canals and produce more secretions, measuring ear temperature is unreliable. Measuring rectal temperature is the most accurate. If a baby under three months old has a fever, there is a high chance of a serious bacterial infection due to insufficient resistance. Please do not hesitate to take the baby to a hospital for a detailed examination.

2. Fever in older children:

First, please take your child to your doctor to determine the cause of the fever. If it is assessed to be a disease that can be treated with medication at home, you can follow the suggestions below.

The body's temperature control center is in the thalamus of the human brain. Its function is like setting the temperature of the air conditioner, and it can determine the human body temperature.

When the body is infected and inflamed, it produces a lot of inflammatory substances that stimulate the thalamus in the brain to increase body temperature (1). During this process (2), because of the heat generated, the young patient will experience a lot of discomfort, including rapid breathing and heartbeat, shivering all over the body, headache, nausea, and vomiting, etc. There are two things we can do here.

The first is to keep the child warm, either by covering with a thick blanket or using a heating stove or lamp. The second is that if the child has congenital heart, lung or other metabolic diseases, or is really very unwell, antipyretics can be given to shorten the duration of the fever and the maximum temperature to relieve the child's discomfort.

The rubbing alcohol and ice pillows that were commonly used in the past are no longer recommended. They take away the heat that the child has worked hard to generate, forcing the child to shiver more violently and gasp more to generate more heat. This not only aggravates the discomfort, but alcohol may cause blood vessels to constrict, making it more difficult to dissipate heat. The child may even overdose and be poisoned, so don't use them anymore.

After the patient's body temperature reaches the preset temperature (3), the above discomfort will be reduced a lot. It is normal to look lazy. You always need to take a break after a marathon. (4) After that, the patient's temperature will start to drop, and his hands and feet will become hot and sweaty. At this time, please unbutton the child's clothes to ventilate, and add more water to help sweat. The temperature will drop in about 1-2 hours. After a proper rest, you will be full of energy again!

Simply put, when parents find that their child has a fever, they can first touch the hands, feet and body. If the hands are cold and the body is hot, it is the chill period. Please put on more clothes to keep warm and give antipyretics as appropriate. If the hands are as hot as the body, it is the fever reduction period. Please open the clothes for ventilation or wipe them with warm water to speed up the heat dissipation. Giving antipyretics will not be of much help at this time.

It is normal for the body temperature to fluctuate for two or three days due to a common cold, so don’t be too nervous. However, if the fever lasts for too many days or is accompanied by other dangerous symptoms, please return for a check-up immediately.

Danger signs for babies:

1. Fever in infants under three months old

2. Significant decrease in urine volume

3. Crying without tears

4. Unclear consciousness, continuous drowsiness, restlessness when not feverish, dull eyes

5. Cramps, muscle twitches, limb paralysis, paresthesia

6. Persistent headache and vomiting

7. Stiff Neck

8. Coughing up blood

9. Apnea, shortness of breath without fever, difficulty breathing, chest wall indentation during inspiration

10. Slow or irregular heartbeat

11. Unable to move normally, such as being unable to climb stairs or being out of breath after walking a short distance

12. Purple spots on the skin

13. Black lips, fingers, and toes