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You touch the child's forehead with one hand, and yours with the other. It has a warmer head. You think, “Oh, fever! It has to be lowered. " You are giving your child an antipyretic drug and may be making a mistake. Fever in children is not always dangerous.
By convention, we assumed thatthe body temperatureof a he althy person's body should be 36.6 degrees C. However, it may be constantly slightly higher or slightly lower in each of us. In addition, body temperature changes throughout the day - in the morning it is lower and in the evening it is about half a degree higher.
Children usually have a slightly cooler body than adults, but they react even more violently to banal infections, such as a cold, than we do. Some of them experience febrile convulsions already at 38 degrees Celsius.
Fever in children: increased body temperature may be a reaction to:
- viral, bacterial, fungal infection,
- immunization,
- inflammation of the joints, intestines, appendix, meninges and the brain,
- hyperthyroidism,
- severe allergy,
- dehydration (especially in children after diarrhea),
- extensive burns,
- heavy trauma,
- taking certain medications, e.g. anti-cancer drugs,
- strong feelings or emotional agitation.
How does a fever develop in children
Body temperature is controlled in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. There is a thermoregulation center that maintains a balance between the production of heat in tissues (mainly in the liver and muscles) and its loss, mainly through the skin.
When the body contains substances called exogenous pyrogens (usually viruses or bacteria and their products or toxins), white blood cells, which are part of the immune system, start to produce special proteins - endogenous pyrogens. They affect the thermoregulation center and set our internal thermostat to a slightly higher level.
The reaction to the signals coming from the brain is rapid and repetitive muscle contractions (chills) to increase the body temperature. Why? Because with a significant increase in temperature, pathogenic microbes cannot grow or multiply quickly and die faster.
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Fever in children: lower or not?
Increased body temperatureis the body's natural defense reaction.Feveris not a disease in itself, but a symptom of it, often the first noticed by parents. Children usually complain of headaches, muscle aches, bones breaking, they feel cold at first, then alternate between chills and heat waves. It may be accompanied by symptoms of a cold: runny nose, cough, earache, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.
Parents try to lower the fever because it causes malaise. However, we must remember that by giving a child an antipyretic, we only alleviate the symptoms, do not eliminate the source of the infection and additionally weaken the body's natural self-defense processes. Doing so can prolong illness, so it shouldn't be done routinely. You always have to take into account your baby's condition and how he or she tolerates an increase in body temperature.
Fever in children: when to see a doctor?
If you know that your child has a convulsive reaction to fever, start lowering it as it approaches 38 degrees C and see a doctor as soon as possible. For children who have had febrile seizures in the past, the pediatrician will usually prescribe preventive Luminal suppositories (use them if you have any).
Also visit your doctor if:
- the fever reaches 39 degrees C and clearly makes it difficult for the child to function,
- after 2-3 days of using grandma's methods, the child does not feel better or the symptoms of the disease worsen,
- feverish states tend to recur,
- we suspect that it is a more serious disease (e.g. fever and pains on the right side of the stomach may indicate appendicitis).
Fever in children: home remedies
They work well in most cases. If your child goes to Nursery or Kindergarten, keep them at home for a few days.
- He should drink as much as possible because he is sweating and may become dehydrated (viral infections are sometimes accompanied by diarrhea which accelerates the dehydration process). Serve him summer teas and drinks. If you don't feel like eating, don't force it! Offer vitamin-rich fruit mousses, compotes, yoghurts and blended soups to make them easy to swallow.
- Don't wrap your baby in thick sweaters or blankets. It will only raise the temperature. All you need is pajamas and a light covering.
- Make sure that the home does not exceed 22 degrees Celsius. It is good to humidify the air, because it makes it easier for the child to breathe.
- To lower the temperature, apply summer compresses to the chest, abdomen, armpits and groin. Or wrap your naked baby wet for 10 minutes(not cold!) a sheet (without additional cover, so that it does not hinder evaporation) or wipe his body with a wet washcloth. A 5-10-minute bath in water 1-2 degrees C cooler than the child's body temperature will also help.
- Follow the prescribed dosage when administering the antipyretic drug! After the appropriate time, measure the temperature again and if it is still high, give a second dose of the preparation. If it doesn't work either, see your doctor.
36-37 degrees C - normal temperature
37.1-38 degrees C - low fever
38.1-39 degrees C - moderate fever
39.1-40.5 degrees C - high fever
over 40.5 degrees C-fever dangerous to he alth and life
Fever in children: antipyretic drugs
Preparations with paracetamol are available in the form of a solution (for children from 3 months of age it is given, for example, with milk), suppositories (when vomiting), sachets with powder for dissolving in water, effervescent tablets (for children over 7 years of age). life). Children under 12 years of age are not given acetylsalicylic acid (e.g. Polopyrin, Aspirin), as they may be followed by a life-threatening neurological disease - Reye's syndrome (especially in viral infectious diseases, e.g. influenza or chicken pox).
How to measure a fever in children
Every morning and evening at the same time. If necessary, also at noon and late evening.
An electronic thermometer can be used for the measurement - then the result is known after a minute, but it is approximate. If you want a very accurate measurement, it is better to use the traditional mercury indicator (3 min).
The height of the temperature depends on the place of measurement and the thermometer used. Pediatricians recommend that children under the age of 5 take rectal temperature as this is the most accurate measurement. It must take about 2 minutes. The tip of the thermometer must be lubricated with petroleum jelly beforehand and insert it very slowly, carefully. Remember, however, that the temperature in the rectum is 0.5 degrees Celsius higher than that of the armpit or mouth. To get the correct value, subtract half a degree from the rectal temperature.
Older children can put a thermometer under their armpit or mouth. Remember not to measure your mouth immediately after your child has drunk a hot drink. The result may scare us, but it will be false.
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