Content

• Steps

Fever is an outward sign of illness, usually an infection (but not always). The increased body temperature is the body's defense mechanism. The best way to help your child overcome the illness is to control the fever and act accordingly. Pay attention to the child and his outward symptoms, and take steps to help the child feel comfortable while reducing the fever.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Choosing and Using a Thermometer

1. 

   Choose an electronic thermometer. Because there is a risk of mercury poisoning if the thermometer breaks, the Canadian Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend using an electronic thermometer rather than an old-fashioned mercury thermometer for safety.
   • Mercury thermometers have to stay there for 3 minutes to give results, while electronic thermometers only need a few seconds. In terms of safety and convenience, an electronic thermometer is the better choice.
   • The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends using a plastic thermometer rather than a glass thermometer to avoid the possibility of breaking and causing injury.

2. 

   
   
   Consider when managing a child's fever through the anal passage. Consult with your doctor which method is right for your child. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends measuring the rectal temperature with a self-electric thermometer for babies up to 3 years old for the most accurate reading.
   • Apply a little bit of lubricating wax to the anus and bring the thermometer inside about 2.5 cm.
   • If you are using an electronic thermometer for rectal temperature, do not use the same thermometer for oral temperature measurements. Label the thermometer to separate it.

3. 

   
   
   Consider using a forehead thermometer. Forehead thermometers, or forehead thermometers, use infrared rays to measure heat in the temporal aorta. However, these thermometers can be more expensive, so it is more common to use an oral or ear thermometer.
   • Forehead thermometers can be used for children three months of age and older.

4. 

   
   
   Hugs and caresses children. The sick child is very restless and will often enjoy being hugged. Placing your baby on your lap and caressing him or her will make it easier for you to take the temperature because he or she will be more calm and cooperative.
   • Breastfeeding or telling stories will help them calm down and not notice. Older children may hug you and snuggle against you.

5. 

   Take the temperature in your mouth or anus. An oral thermometer will give reliable results (almost exactly like an anal measurement), easier to measure without making your child feel too scared. For children under 3 years old, should consider measuring anal temperature for children.
   • Underarm temperatures, or underarms, can be up to 2 degrees lower than anal temperatures. This is not the most reliable method of temperature measurement, as is the case with oral or anal measurements.
   • The oral thermometer will be placed under the tongue so that it will not be bitten or pinched, held in place until the gauge beeps or after 2-3 minutes.

6. 

   Use an ear thermometer for babies 18 months and older. Electronic ear thermometers are also very convenient and reliable when used to measure the child's temperature. This type of thermometer measures the temperature in the ear canal and the inner ear membrane.
   • Pull the ear slightly down and back to allow the ear canal to open for a more accurate reading. Insert the thermometer in for a few millimeters, then stop. Ear temperature readings will appear quickly, when completed will beep, and usually only a little less accurate results measured rectally.
   • Children with an ear infection will have a higher temperature in that ear, so take the measurement in the other ear if possible. If both ears are infected, use another method to measure the child's temperature.

7. 

   Check your child's temperature regularly. Measure the temperature every 4 hours. Record your results so that you can control whether the fever has subsided or is still rising.
   • The normal temperature is up to 37.2 degrees Celsius. A mild fever is up to 38.3 degrees C and typically a fever will be from 38.4 degrees C to 39.7 degrees C.
   • A high fever means a fever above 39.8C and should be mediated by health workers when using the drug, or if the child is very weak when the fever is high.

8. 

   Recognize daily temperature fluctuations. Your body temperature is lowest in the morning after a night of rest and highest before going to bed after a day of normal body activity and activity. Do not be too alarmed if the child's body temperature rises a few degrees between these two times (when the child's body temperature is still below 39.8 degrees C). advertisement

Part 2 of 3: Keeping Your Child Comfortable

1. 

   Make sure the child has enough water. A fever can quickly dehydrate a child from sweating and the body has to work hard to fight infection. It is important to keep the child's body resistant to the fever by giving the child plenty of fluids.

2. 

   Be aware of the signs and symptoms of fever before temperature factors. Notice if the baby is cold, the cheeks are red and shiver. These are all normal responses when the child's body tries to fight off an infectious factor.
   • Your child may complain of muscle or joint pain, which is a normal response when the body fights the fever.

3. 

   Give your child a warm bath. External methods of lowering the temperature such as taking a warm bath and covering with a few blankets while sleeping are all effective ways to help your child feel comfortable during the flushing and sweating caused by the fever response. A warm bath with a sponge will help your child feel more comfortable. Do not let the child get so cold that it will shiver, as this will actually increase body temperature as a default response.
   • The techniques of lowering temperature all stimulate exothermic but do not have the effect of regulating the child's internal body temperature, so it should only be applied as measures to alleviate discomfort for children.
   • You can use a fan in the room to increase the air conditioning, but do not leave the fan in a place that blows directly on the child.

4. 

   Pay attention to the child's behavior. Your baby may want to sleep a lot, which is a good response that allows the body to rest and focus on fighting the cause of the fever. Children with unstable standing phenomenon and difficult to wake up children, as well as if the child is not awake are very worrying problems and need to bring the child to the medical facility immediately. advertisement

Part 3 of 3: Treating a child's fever

1. 

   Let the fever go away on its own. Fevers below 39.5 degrees C are usually not harmful. In many cases, fever is a good thing, as this is the body's way of raising the ambient temperature so it is no longer conducive to pathogens, bacteria, and viruses.
   • The fever is usually not harmful, it will control itself and does not require medicine. A fever usually won't last more than a few days.
   • Infants under 12 weeks of age with a fever of 38 degrees C or higher should be taken to the emergency room immediately.
   • The main reason to treat a fever is to make the child feel more comfortable. But if your child has a high fever (39.8 degrees C), you should consider treatment and see a doctor.

2. 

   Reduce high fever or discomfort caused by fever with medicine. Antipyretic (antipyretic) medicine works to regulate the hypothalamus, the temperature control center in the brain. Both acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (such as Motrin, Advil) work well and reduce fever within 1.5 to 2 hours. If your child has a fever less than 2 years old, consult your pediatrician before giving the medicine.
   • Do not give aspirin (ASA, acetylsalicylic acid) to your child. Children who take aspirin can get Reye Syndrome, a life-threatening syndrome that causes brain swelling and other problems.
   • Always be sure to give your child the correct dose. Children should not take the same amount as adults. The dosage is based on age and weight, so you should carefully read the instructions on the bottle to determine the right dose for your child. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure how much to give.
   • There is no evidence that alternative medicine can reduce fever more quickly; Moreover, if used like this, the dosage is wrong. This practice is not recommended for children.
   • Do not give ibuprofen to children under 6 months old. If your child is vomiting or dehydrated, do not give ibuprofen.

3. 

   Seek medical attention or emergency care if fever cannot be controlled. Take your child to the doctor if he or she has a high fever (over 40 degrees C) cannot drop to 38.3 degrees C to 38.9 degrees when taking the medicine.You also need to take your child to the doctor if the fever lasts longer than 24 hours (for children under 2 years old) or 3 days (for children over 2 years old) or if the child becomes dehydrated.
   • Take your child to the emergency room right away if he is not alert (lethargic), unresponsive, has difficulty breathing, has a stiff neck, has a sudden rash or gets worse.

4. 

   Take your child to the doctor if the child has a fever, epilepsy. A epileptic seizure is a seizure caused by a sudden rise in temperature and stiffening of the whole body, involuntary strong shock movements, rolling eyes, loss of consciousness. A epileptic seizure can last 2 minutes and looks scary but is not necessarily dangerous.
   • If your child has a seizure, don't hold him down, try to stop him or put something in his mouth. Remove the glasses and, if possible, place something soft under the child's head. Keep your baby upright if possible. Leave the child as is and move any sharp objects or objects nearby. Keep track of how long the seizures last and talk with your doctor about when. If the seizure lasts more than 3 minutes, call an ambulance.
   • Take your child to the health care provider, even if he is sleepy and wants to rest at home. The doctor will want to ask many questions to find any cause, not just about the fever.
   • Seizure seizures are very common and do not cause brain damage or epilepsy.
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