When Should Babies Go to the Hospital for Fever

All kids get a fever from time to time. A fever itself usually causes no impairment and can actually be a good affair — it'south ofttimes a sign that the body is fighting an infection.

Just when your child wakes in the middle of the night flushed, hot, and sweaty, it'due south easy to be unsure of what to do next. Should you get out the thermometer? Call the medico?

Here's more than about fevers, including when to contact your dr..

What Is a Fever?

Fever happens when the body'due south internal "thermostat" raises the body temperature above its normal level. This thermostat is found in a part of the brain chosen the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus knows what temperature your body should be (commonly around 98.6°F/37°C) and volition send messages to your body to keep information technology that way.

Well-nigh people's torso temperatures change a trivial bit during the course of the day: It's usually a trivial lower in the morning and a petty college in the evening and can vary as kids run around, play, and exercise.

Sometimes, though, the hypothalamus will "reset" the body to a higher temperature in response to an infection, illness, or some other crusade. Why? Researchers believe that turning upwards the heat is a style for the torso to fight the germs that cause infections, making it a less comfy place for them.

What Causes Fevers?

Information technology's important to remember that fever by itself is not an illness — it'due south normally a sign or symptom of some other problem.

Fevers tin exist caused by a few things, including:

Infection: Most fevers are acquired by infection or other illness. A fever helps the trunk fight infections by stimulating natural defense mechanisms.

Overdressing: Infants, especially newborns, may get fevers if they're overbundled or in a hot environment because they don't regulate their trunk temperature likewise as older kids. Just because fevers in newborns can betoken a serious infection, even infants who are overdressed must be checked by a physician if they have a fever.

Immunizations: Babies and kids sometimes get a low-grade fever after getting vaccinated.

Although teething may cause a slight ascent in trunk temperature, information technology'south probably non the crusade if a child's temperature is higher than 100°F (37.8°C).

When Is a Fever a Sign of Something Serious?

In healthy kids, not all fevers need to exist treated. High fever, though, can brand a child uncomfortable and make problems (such as dehydration) worse.

Doctors decide on whether to treat a fever by because both the temperature and a child's overall condition.

Kids whose temperatures are lower than 102°F (38.9°C) frequently don't need medicine unless they're uncomfortable. There'south one important exception: If an baby 3 months or younger has a rectal temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, call your doctor or go to the emergency department immediately. Even a slight fever tin can be a sign of a potentially serious infection in very young babies.

If your kid is between 3 months and three years former and has a fever of 102.2°F (39°C) or higher, call to encounter if your doctor needs to see your child. For older kids, take behavior and activity level into account. Watching how your child behaves will give you a pretty good idea of whether a minor disease is the cause or if your child should be seen by a doctor.

The affliction is probably non serious if your child:

• is still interested in playing
• is eating and drinking well
• is alert and grinning at you
• has a normal skin colour
• looks well when his or her temperature comes down

And don't worry too much about a child with a fever who doesn't want to eat. This is very common with infections that cause fever. For kids who still drink and urinate (pee) normally, not eating as much as usual is OK.

Is information technology a Fever?

A gentle kiss on the forehead or a paw placed lightly on the pare is often enough to requite you lot a hint that your child has a fever. However, this method of taking a temperature (chosen tactile temperature) won't give an accurate measurement.

Use a reliable digital thermometer to ostend a fever. It's a fever when a child's temperature is at or to a higher place one of these levels:

• measured orally (in the mouth): 100°F (37.viii°C)
• measured rectally (in the lesser): 100.4°F (38°C)
• measured in an axillary position (under the arm): 99°F (37.2°C)

But how high a fever is doesn't tell you much about how sick your child is. A simple cold or other viral infection can sometimes crusade a rather loftier fever (in the 102°–104°F/38.9°–40°C range), but this doesn't unremarkably hateful there's a serious problem. In fact, a serious infection, peculiarly in infants, might cause no fever or even a low body temperature (below 97°F or 36.1°C).

Because fevers can rise and fall, a child might take chills every bit the body'southward temperature begins to rising. The child may sweat to release extra estrus as the temperature starts to drop.

Sometimes kids with a fever breathe faster than usual and may have a faster eye rate. Call the md if your kid has problem breathing, is breathing faster than normal, or is still breathing fast after the fever comes downward.

How Can I Aid My Child Feel Better?

Again, not all fevers need to be treated. In most cases, a fever should be treated only if it'southward causing a child discomfort.

Here are ways to ease symptoms that ofttimes accompany a fever:

Medicines

If your child is fussy or uncomfortable, you can give acetaminophen or ibuprofen based on the package recommendations for historic period or weight. (Unless instructed past a md, never give aspirin to a kid due to its association with Reye syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease.) If you don't know the recommended dose or your kid is younger than 2 years old, phone call the doctor to observe out how much to requite.

Infants younger than ii months erstwhile should non be given any medicine for fever without beingness checked past a doctor. If your child has any medical problems, check with the doc to run across which medicine is all-time to use. Call up that fever medicine can temporarily bring a temperature down, but unremarkably won't return information technology to normal — and information technology won't treat the underlying reason for the fever.

Dwelling Comfort Measures

Wearing apparel your child in lightweight clothing and embrace with a light sheet or coating. Overdressing and overbundling tin can forestall body oestrus from escaping and tin cause the temperature to rise.

Make sure your child'due south bedroom is a comfortable temperature — not too hot or too cold.

While some parents use lukewarm sponge baths to lower fever, this method only helps temporarily, if at all. In fact, sponge baths can make kids uncomfortable. Never use rubbing alcohol (it tin crusade poisoning when absorbed through the skin) or ice packs/cold baths (they can cause chills that tin can enhance body temperature).

Nutrient and Drinks

Offering enough of fluids to avoid dehydration considering fevers make kids lose fluids more than rapidly than usual. H2o, soup, water ice pops, and flavored gelatin are all good choices. Avoid drinks with caffeine, including colas and tea, because they tin can make dehydration worse past increasing urination (peeing).

If your child likewise is vomiting and/or has diarrhea, inquire the doctor if y'all should requite an electrolyte (rehydration) solution made especially for kids. You lot can find these at drugstores and supermarkets. Don't offer sports drinks — they're not made for younger children and the added sugars can make diarrhea worse. Besides, limit your child's intake of fruits and apple juice.

In general, let kids eat what they want (in reasonable amounts), merely don't force it if they don't feel like it.

Taking it Like shooting fish in a barrel

Make sure your kid gets plenty of rest. Staying in bed all day isn't necessary, but a sick kid should take information technology easy.

It's best to go along a child with a fever home from schoolhouse or childcare. About doctors feel that information technology's safety to return when the temperature has been normal for 24 hours.

When Should I Call the Md?

The exact temperature that should trigger a call to the doctor depends on a child'south age, the affliction, and whether there are other symptoms with the fever.

Call your doctor if you accept an:

• infant younger than 3 months former with a rectal temperature of 100.iv°F (38°C) or college
• older child with a temperature of higher than 102.2°F (39°C)

Likewise phone call if an older child has a fever of lower than 102.ii°F (39°C) only too:

• refuses fluids or seems too ill to drink adequately
• has lasting diarrhea or repeated airsickness
• has any signs of dehydration (peeing less than usual, non having tears when crying, less alert and less active than usual)
• has a specific complaint (like a sore throat or earache)
• withal has a fever after 24 hours (in kids younger than 2 years former) or 72 hours (in kids two years or older)
• is getting fevers a lot, fifty-fifty if they only last a few hours each nighttime
• has a chronic medical problem, such every bit centre disease, cancer, lupus, or sickle cell illness
• has a rash
• has pain while peeing

Get emergency care if your kid shows whatever of these signs:

• crying that won't stop
• farthermost irritability or fussiness
• lethargy and trouble waking up
• a rash or purple spots that wait like bruises on the skin (that were not there before your kid got sick)
• blue lips, natural language, or nails
• infant's soft spot on the head seems to be bulging out or sunken in
• stiff cervix
• severe headache
• limpness or refusal to move
• problem animate that doesn't get better when the olfactory organ is cleared
• leaning forrad and drooling
• seizure
• moderate to severe belly hurting

Also, enquire if your doctor has specific guidelines on when to call well-nigh a fever.

What Else Should I Know?

All kids get fevers, and in most cases they're completely back to normal inside a few days. For older babies and kids, the way they deed can be more important than the reading on your thermometer. Everyone gets a little cranky when they accept a fever. This is normal and should be expected.

Simply if you're ever in dubiousness about what to practise or what a fever might mean, or if your child is acting sick in a way that concerns you lot even if there'due south no fever, ever phone call your doctor for advice.

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Source: https://kidshealth.org/Nemours/en/parents/fever.html

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