Causes and types of temperature rise
An elevated temperature in your child indicates the active resistance of the small organism to an infectious attack. Many pathogens cannot survive high temperature. Therefore, an increase in temperature is detrimental to them. Reducing the temperature ahead of time means giving microbes a chance to survive. In some cases, artificially removing an elevated temperature can lead to blurring of the symptoms of the disease and difficulties in identifying it.
To confirm the assumption that a child has a fever, it is necessary to measure its exact value using a thermometer. They are mercury (their cost is approximately 40-50 rubles), electronic (350-870 rubles) and infrared (850-2200 rubles).
Fever occurs as a result of the body's response to pyrogens - products of an immunological reaction. There are two types of fever - “red” (“pink”) and “white”.
With “red” fever, the child feels relatively well and may be cheerful and active. The baby's skin takes on a soft pink tint, and there is usually a scarlet blush on the cheeks. His hands and feet are warm, even hot at high temperatures. With such a fever, you should not lower the temperature to 39 (in children under 3 months - to 38) degrees, as this will allow pathogenic microbes to multiply unhindered. For the “red” variety, you can use all the methods given in the “Antipyretics” section.
The child’s condition is much more serious with the “white” type of fever. The child feels seriously unwell, weak and apathetic. Due to spasms of peripheral vessels, the skin becomes marble pale, hands and feet are cold. In this case, antipyretic procedures should begin when the temperature reaches 38 degrees, quickly and promptly, otherwise convulsions may begin. Also, with this type of fever, you should definitely call a doctor.
First of all, we give the child an antipyretic (Paracetamol or Ibuprofen) and a vasodilator (No-Spa or Papaverine). Next, we rub the child’s body to restore normal blood circulation. Afterwards, we wrap him up warmer to warm him up. Let's drink plenty of warm drinks. Rubbing a child with water or alcohol if the presence of “white” fever is confirmed is strictly prohibited. This will cause even greater cooling of the body and constriction of blood vessels.
An increase in body temperature requires significant strain on all the body's resources. The load falls on the child's kidneys, heart, liver and other important organs. Therefore, when the temperature reaches high values, it is necessary to bring it down.
We will consider current information on how to lower the temperature at home below.
1. Rubbing a child’s skin with vinegar is very effective. It is diluted with water 1 to 5. First, the chest, stomach and back are wiped, then the feet, arms and hands. The procedure is repeated every couple of hours.
2. Give your baby liquids as often as possible. Under the influence of temperature, the body rapidly loses fluid, so it is necessary to replenish it. On top of that, urine serves as a “transport” for the evacuation of all pathogens from the body. You can drink cranberry or lingonberry juice, warm water or a decoction of raspberries and rose hips.
3. Don't create a greenhouse effect. Wrapping a child in warm blankets and clothes will contribute to an even greater increase in temperature, which can quite realistically trigger heatstroke. Therefore, ventilate the room where the child is as much as possible. Provide him with access to oxygen and coolness.
4. Saline solution. This remedy helps the body reduce high fever, destroy pathogenic flora, prevent the absorption of water into the intestinal walls and its exit along with feces. The solution is administered through an enema. This remedy is prepared very simply - a couple of teaspoons of salt in a glass of warm water. The volume of infused solution is selected based on the age of the child. For small children under 3 years old - 0.2 liters, for preschoolers - 0.3-0.4 liters, for teenagers - 0.7-0.8 liters.
5. Wrapping. This folk method allows you to simultaneously cool a significant surface of the body. To do this, take a sheet or towel made of cotton and immerse it in warm water or yarrow solution. Then undress the child naked and wrap a dampened cloth around the body. The liquid, evaporating, helps to reduce excessively high degrees.
The yarrow solution is prepared as follows: a couple of tablespoons of the main component are prepared for a quarter of an hour in an enamel container on steam bath. In addition to the antipyretic, it has a general strengthening effect on the child’s body.
6. Antipyretic bath. If the temperature has crossed 40 degrees, the child’s body requires urgent help. A cool bath will help bring down the extra degrees. Immerse the child in water with a temperature of 18-20 degrees. Water having a higher or low temperature, can cause a further increase in the child’s body temperature. You can take a bath for about 20 minutes. It is allowed to accompany the procedure by massaging the body with a washcloth. This stimulates blood circulation, improving heat transfer. After a bath, do not dry your baby's skin. If the temperature rises again, the procedure can be repeated.
7. Compresses. We soak gauze pads in a decoction of mint leaves and apply them to the forehead, groin, temples, and wrists. The fabric should not be excessively wet. Compresses are changed every 10 minutes.
8. Enema with chamomile decoction. A few spoons of the ingredient are cooked in a water bath in an enamel container for about 15 minutes. Later, the broth is cooled to room temperature and added to 0.2 liters. boiled water, diluted 1 to 1 with sunflower oil. The drug has antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic effects.
We will learn how to reduce a child’s temperature using pharmaceutical means in the next section.
The most common and in effective ways To bring down the temperature is the use of such children's antipyretic drugs as: "Panadol", "Paracetamol", "Ibufen", "Efferalgan", "Cefekon", "Calpol" in the form of syrups, suspensions, rectal suppositories, and others.
If it is impossible to lower the temperature using available means, immediately call an ambulance. In this case, the duty team has a fairly effective, although not harmless for children, injection, consisting of Diphenhydramine, No-shpa, and Analgin. It quickly relieves high fever. In a critical case, the beneficial effect is significantly higher than the possible harm caused to the baby’s health.
Be healthy, don't get sick!
Sooner or later the child's temperature rises, which is due to developing diseases. Fever in a child is not a disease, but only the main sign of an illness. High temperature poses a threat to the baby's life, so it must be reduced. How to reduce high fever in children at home? This question interests many young parents, since not all mothers know when it is necessary to take measures to reduce fever.
A child’s temperature is a sign of infections and pathogens entering the body. Immediately after the infection penetrates, its active spread is observed. When viruses spread, inflammation occurs, resulting in the body's protective function. Signs of an increase in temperature indicate that the body is fighting against invading viruses and bacteria. The most common causes of elevated temperature include the following:
It is important to know! It is possible to determine why a small child has a fever only by visiting a specialist who will conduct a detailed examination and then make a diagnosis.
We will learn more about what contributes to the occurrence of hyperthermia below.
Before quickly bringing down the temperature, you need to find out in what cases such actions are required. Pediatricians do not recommend reducing fever if the thermometer shows below 38-38.5 degrees. Such indications are acceptable and indicate that the baby’s body is fighting viruses and infections on its own.
It is important to know! It is necessary to reduce body temperature if its value exceeds 38.5-39 degrees.
You can relieve your child's fever with antipyretic medications. It is necessary to resort to their use if the thermometer shows a value above 39 degrees. Antipyretics, which help lower the temperature, are intended for both adults and children. The following types of antipyretic drugs for children include:
To bring down the temperature of a newborn baby at home, a homeopathic medicine called Viburkol is used. It is based exclusively on medicinal herbs that calm the nervous system, thereby reducing fever.
It is important to know! If parents cannot independently determine how to lower their child’s temperature at home, they should consult a specialist. The doctor will help you choose the optimal drug that will indispensable assistant for mom, as soon as the baby’s fever rises above 39 degrees.
A high temperature in a child can be brought down at home using folk methods. Of course, actions to reduce hyperthermia are temporary, and until the cause of the fever is eliminated, parents will need to regularly set a thermometer and monitor the temperature.
It is important to know! Remember that by reducing hyperthermia below 38 degrees, you are doing a disservice to the disease. In this case, the virus or infection begins to attack the body at an accelerated rate.
How to quickly reduce hyperthermia in children if the reasons for its increase are unknown. Of course, you need to trust a specialist to find out the reasons for the development of the disease. It is important for parents to help their baby if he develops hyperthermia at a level above 39 degrees.
How to bring down a child’s temperature at home if the thermometer readings are between 38 and 39 degrees? There is no need to rush to give your little one antipyretics with such thermometer readings. To improve his well-being, you should provide comfortable conditions in the room. Room temperature fluctuations should range from 18 to 22 degrees.
It is important to know! With very high hyperthermia above 40 degrees, you need to call an ambulance, especially if the readings increase and antipyretics do not have positive results.
Let's look at the main ways to quickly reduce a child's temperature at home.
What should parents do if they detect hyperthermia in their toddler? First of all, remove all clothes from your toddler, which will quickly and effectively reduce hyperthermia by several degrees. Signs of fever precede loss of fluid in the body. This happens because the liquid evaporates even with slight hyperthermia. If the temperature remains at 40 degrees, then this is fraught with the development of dehydration, which can occur after a short period of time.
To avoid signs of dehydration, you need to give your baby something to drink regularly. The more often liquid enters the toddler’s body, the higher the effectiveness of reducing hyperthermia. The advantage of restoring water balance in the body is the fact that liquid accelerates the process of eliminating pathogenic bacteria and viruses.
How to reduce the temperature with vinegar in a child aged 1 to 12 months? For children under one year of age, using vinegar, vodka and other analogues to reduce hyperthermia is strictly contraindicated. In addition, you should not rub or soak a child with vodka and vinegar under the age of 3-5 years. Skin The babies are still very fragile, so the acid can cause burns.
It is important to know! Using vinegar to reduce hyperthermia is one of the most effective and popular methods to get rid of high fever.
Using vinegar in its pure form is strictly contraindicated. It must be diluted with water in the proportion of a few drops of the product per glass of water. The resulting solution provides a possible reduction in hyperthermia if rubdowns or lotions are performed. Rubbing should be performed on such parts of the body as the forehead, armpits, joints, limbs, back and tummy. It is necessary to ensure that the solution does not get into the child’s mouth and eyes.
Just 10-15 minutes is enough, and the vinegar solution will bring down the toddler’s high fever. If, with high hyperthermia, the baby’s limbs become cold, then wiping is contraindicated. In such a situation, you should give the baby ¼ tablet of No-Spa, and then call an ambulance.
We get rid of the symptoms of high fever using a method such as an enema. This is another effective way to get rid of the signs of high fever. With symptoms of high fever, toxic substances are absorbed by the lower intestines. You can prevent intoxication of the body with an enema. Moreover, to carry out this procedure, you should use not water, but mixtures of soda and salt.
Already quite mature thermoregulation and formed immunity. Therefore, if there are no chronic diseases or special health problems, all scheduled vaccinations have been done in advance, colds should proceed fairly easily. And fairly experienced parents already know well what and how to bring down the temperature of not just a baby, but almost a teenager.
But this does not mean that a sick child of 9 years old can be given less attention than a preschooler.
In order for a cold to end in recovery as soon as possible, and not continue with more serious complications, you need to remember and follow the precepts of Dr. Komarovsky.
At elevated temperature in a child and signs of a cold, and especially when there is a fever without respiratory symptoms, be sure to call a doctor.
From the very beginning of the illness, while the temperature is still subfebrile from 37 to 37.9, give the child plenty of juices, fruit drinks, compotes with dried apricots, raisins, prunes and figs in order to further avoid dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.
Drinking plenty of fluid is also necessary so that the fever can be easily brought down after it increases.
Immediately check the temperature and humidity in the teenager’s room. To prevent the temperature from rising due to external conditions, the room should be 18-22℃ and 50-70% humidity.
If you have a febrile fever from 38℃ to 38.9, you should not rush to bring down the temperature with antipyretics. Febrile convulsions, the danger of which is knocked down from 38, are extremely rare in children after 6 years of age.
Taking medications for fever costs from 38.5. This must be done if the temperature rises at night and if the child does not feel well. From 38.1 they are knocked down in chronic heart diseases and nervous system, if there are special instructions from the supervising physician.
High fever of 39 and above requires the mandatory use of antipyretics - paracetamol and. If it doesn’t lose at least half a degree in half an hour, then you need to call an ambulance.
Failure to respond to paracetamol is a sign of a bacterial infection, which can be much more dangerous than a viral infection and requires antibiotics.
Pediatrician Komarovsky also likes to list cases in which calling a doctor or ambulance is mandatory. This should be done when:
A child at this age still cannot use the following antipyretics to combat fever without special instructions from a doctor:
Preparations based on paracetamol - Panadol, Efferalgan, Calpol - can be given not only in the form of suspensions, but also tablets. But if you want the temperature to drop faster, then syrups are better suited for this, because the active substance from liquid dosage forms enters the blood much faster. In addition, if the tablet is swallowed, it may enter the Airways and cause aspiration. But tablets also have the advantage of fewer additives to which a child may develop an allergy.
Paracetamol should not be used in a 9 year old child if:
Ibuprofen-based medications, such as Ibufen or Nurofen, can also be given to children aged 9 years in tablets, but it is better in syrup if there are no allergies to numerous additives. This antipyretic has more side effects than paracetamol, so it is considered the second choice antipyretic, which is used when paracetamol does not bring down the temperature.
Ibuprofen is contraindicated for:
There is also a combination drug Ibuklin Junior. Many pediatricians recommend it if the child tolerates both paracetamol and ibuprofen. The antipyretic effect is higher, and gentle doses of ibuprofen also have an anti-inflammatory effect.
Antipyretics are no longer recommended for children aged 9 years. They are not only uncomfortable, but in most cases they are useless. It is not worth bringing down the temperature below 38, but above 38℃, and especially 39, spasm occurs in the vessels of the rectum, and medicinal substances are almost not absorbed rectally. In some cases, suppositories can help out when a long-term effect is needed to reduce the temperature at night or when an allergic reaction is severe during oral use.
Do not use antipyretics for more than 3 days in a row. If the temperature of a 9-year-old child has not decreased in 3 days to a level that does not require taking antipyretics, then a doctor is urgently needed and a change in the treatment regimen is required.
When taking antipyretics, it is very important to observe the daily and single dosage, which is calculated based on the child’s weight, and the time intervals between the use of single doses. For paracetamol it is 6 hours, for ibuprofen it is 8 hours.
The instructions indicate approximate quantity measuring spoons, caps or tablets for each age, but this is suitable if the child has a typical weight for 9 years, namely 25-32 kg. If your baby weighs noticeably less or more than his average peers, then it is better to ask your local pediatrician to calculate the dosage for you by weight.
A constant companion of any infectious disease is an increase in the body. And despite the fact that this is a standard reaction of the body, many parents do not know what to do in this case. They wonder when and if the child should do this at all. In this article we will discuss this issue that worries many parents, as well as the reasons why this happens, the main symptoms, how to shoot down correctly and other useful information.
Body temperature- this is an indicator of the thermal state of the body, which reflects the relationship between the production of heat by our entire body and its heat exchange with the external environment. Normal temperature body varies between 36.5° and 37.2°. Anything above or below these values is considered a deviation from the normal state. An increase in body temperature is a signal from the body that something is wrong with it. Most often, this means that the process of fighting some kind of disease has started. This is a natural protective reaction, which, by connecting various biochemical reactions, destroys foreign microorganisms. It is divided into several subspecies due to the degree of its increase:
Did you know? Temperature fluctuations in children are absolutely normal. It becomes more stable in girls at the age of 13-14, and in boys only at the age of 18.
An increase in body temperature is always accompanied by certain symptoms, and the higher it is, the more these symptoms will manifest themselves:
Let's figure out why the temperature increases. First, foreign bacteria and viruses enter the body through the respiratory tract or other sources. As soon as their entry is detected, our brain sends a signal to all internal organs to produce special proteins - pyrogens. The presence of such substances in the body triggers the process of increasing temperature.
As soon as this happens, other substances are sent to fight the uninvited guests - these are the protein interferon and antibodies. - the main fighter against unnecessary microorganisms. And here there is a direct relationship: body temperature becomes higher, and more of the necessary protein will be produced.
Important! The peak of interferon occurs at a temperature of 38 to 39 degrees, and these are the conditions that are most effective.
When we artificially reduce it, the production of interferon decreases, and antibodies begin to play the main role. They also successfully defeat the infection, but they do not do it as quickly as interferon, so the recovery process is significantly delayed.
But the body can malfunction, especially for children whose immune systems are not yet as stable as those of adults. And in this case, the temperature may approach dangerous levels for the child - from 39.5° to 41°.
Let's consider what temperature should be brought down for a child. If we analyze all of the above and turn to the opinion of the majority of doctors, we can conclude that temperature readings of up to 38.5 degrees are the norm for an infectious disease, and you should not bring it down.
After all, such a reaction of the body only means that the immune system is working well. If you reduce the elevated thermometer readings using special measures, this will weaken the protection and may affect the course of further recovery.
Important! Modern doctors prohibit parents from lowering their body temperature to below 38.5° . The exception is those cases if the temperature is 38 degreesin a child up to, then doctors recommend lowering it.
The exception is children with any neurological seizures or sensitivity to weather changes. In such cases, it is recommended to apply measures at a temperature of 37.5 degrees. Also, if your child feels very unwell, suffers from severe muscle pain or headaches, then in such cases it is also better to resort to lowering the indicators, but before that it is better to first consult with a specialist.
If you don’t know what level to lower the temperature to, then keep in mind that there is no clear temperature standard; it ranges from 36 to 37 degrees for each child, depending on age. For example, in infants this figure is usually closer to 37 degrees, and in older children it is already lower. But all this is individual, and the 36.6 ° standard is usually not met in practice.
If you see that your sick child’s temperature reaches 39 degrees, and medications are contraindicated for him for some reason, then you can try to bring it down without them.
First, let's explain the processes that occur in us and affect body temperature indicators.
The human body produces heat itself, so if your baby has an elevated temperature, it is necessary to reduce its production. To do this, do not let your little one move a lot, eat heavily and drink hot drinks. It is better to provide him with a recumbent regimen, light and cool drinking.
Another important process is heat transfer. Here, the opposite is true, it needs to be increased. Cool air in the room, about 18 degrees, will help with this. At the same time, the child should not freeze; it is enough if he inhales such air. You will also need active sweating; drinking plenty of fluids will help with this.
Important! In order to cause an increase in sweating, first saturate the child’s body with liquid (water, compote), and only then give diaphoretics, such as raspberry tea or decoctions of special herbs.
Thus, by reducing heat production and increasing its output, you can naturally reduce the thermometer readings.
As for non-drug first aid, in case you don’t have any in the house or you don’t want to resort to medications yet, you can use water wipes. However, do not use cold water for this, and do not apply ice or other cold objects. But with this method you will only achieve cooling of the skin itself, but inside the body the temperature not only will not decrease, but will also increase! This occurs due to spasm of skin vessels, which close and do not give off heat for some time. Naturally, such events will only worsen the child’s well-being.
There is another method of wiping, which is used only for adults, but is not recommended for children - wiping with alcohol or vinegar. Physically, this method is quite effective, because sweat with alcohol or vinegar vapor evaporates faster and thus takes away some of the heat. But through the child’s delicate and thin skin, these substances quickly penetrate into the blood, poisoning his body. Here than younger child, the faster harmful substances accumulate in his blood. Therefore, use only water for wiping.
Important! The water for wiping should be slightly cooler than the body (about 32-34 degrees), this will be enough to gradually lower the thermometer readings.
If the above methods do not help and the child’s temperature does not decrease, then parents need to know how to treat in such cases.
Today there are two substances, the use of which is approved by doctors all over the world as an independent treatment for high fever in a child. These substances are included in a variety of drugs, but they have international names - these are ibuprofen. At the pharmacy, ask for the active ingredient, which will tell you whether to take this antipyretic drug. Medicines based on these two substances are effective and safe and combine well with each other. But, naturally, all these positive properties will occur if the prescribed dose and rules of administration are observed.
Often, in the search for effective antipyretics, you can purchase the wrong drugs and use them without knowing about their dangers. These drugs include aspirin and analgin. The first is dangerous specifically for children in case of illness. It has been confirmed that aspirin can cause acute fatty liver degeneration in a child. This sometimes leads to irreparable damage to liver cells and, in many cases, death. By the way, the age when it is unsafe to take aspirin extends up to 18 years.
Another drug, analgin, is often used by emergency doctors in critical conditions. But doctors strongly advise against using it yourself. After all, this medicine has a whole bunch of undesirable effects that are especially dangerous for a child. Analgin can cause the most harm to the circulatory system.
Important! The interval between doses of antipyretic drugs should be at least 4 hours, and they can only be given 4 times a day.
So, let’s draw a line and remind you once again that only two drugs are suitable for independently lowering body temperature - Paracetamol and Ibuprofen (or drugs based on them), the rest can only be used by experienced specialists.
The famous doctor Evgeniy Olegovich Komarovsky has established himself as a competent pediatrician who gives practical advice and helps many parents get answers to pressing questions for them. Let's find out what Komarovsky thinks about the child's high temperature.
Evgeniy Olegovich believes that each child is individual in his own way, and it is impossible to determine for all children the thermometer indicator at which the necessary measures need to be taken. Some people feel fine even at 39 degrees, but others feel bad even at 37.5 degrees. Therefore, he recommends monitoring the child’s condition and, if he is not feeling well at all, he needs to lower the temperature until the doctor arrives. For these purposes, Komarovsky adheres to the same views that we have already mentioned above, that is:
Did you know? In the winter of 1994, a unique case was recorded in Canada. A little girl who had been in the cold for 6 hours had a body temperature of only 14.2 degrees. Fortunately, she was saved.
He considers it advisable to take an antipyretic in the following cases:
These are the main points on how to properly lower a child’s temperature at home and what activities can only make things worse. Always seek help from specialists and do not treat your child on your own. We wish your families health!
High fever accompanies many different diseases in children. And in each case, the child’s fever puts the parents on “full combat readiness.” Since doctors say that fever is extremely dangerous for young children, moms and dads have a reasonable question about how to bring down a high fever, preferably without the use of medications. As is known, in addition to the benefits, pills and mixtures also cause significant harm, especially for the child’s body. They can always help folk recipes- safe and reliable.
Everyone knows that high temperature is not an independent disease. This is a symptom, a protective reaction of the body to the invasion of some foreign agent, to the inflammatory process. Fever is clear evidence of the invisible work of the immune system, which fights the pathogens of some illness.
The heat, oddly enough, has good intentions - in conditions of elevated temperature it is more difficult for microbes to reproduce, and the replication of viruses slows down. If the thermometer exceeds 40.0, microorganisms generally lose their ability to reproduce.
But during heat and fever, phagocytes - protective cells - begin to multiply more actively. They feed on harmful invaders, both viruses and bacteria, and devour and digest them. The higher the temperature, the more actively the phagocytes “hunt”.
At elevated temperatures, several more very important processes start in the body of a sick child - the production of interferon, which is involved in the immune response to invasion, is activated, and antibodies are stimulated that are able to resist the causative agent of a particular infection.
All this is accessible and logically explains why in most cases there is no need to lower a child’s temperature at all.
There are only two cases when the positive properties of fever should be neglected: if a child is an infant and has a fever above 38.5°, and if a child from one to three years has been suffering from a fever with a temperature above 39° for about three days.
37°, 37.5°, 38° and a little higher is not a reason to immediately give your baby antipyretics. It is necessary to give the immune system a chance to develop reliable protection, and pills that reduce fever “prohibit” it from defending itself properly.
And now we invite you to watch Dr. Komarovsky’s episode about emergency care for high fever.
The reasons why temperature rises are varied. In very young children this may occur during teething. Almost all viral infections are accompanied by high fever. Fever accompanies meningitis, influenza, ARVI, sore throat, tonsillitis, sinusitis, kidney and gastrointestinal diseases.
The heat has negative sides. For example, a high temperature (above 38.5) significantly increases the load on the heart, which can be dangerous for children with congenital heart defects and newborns. Heat negatively affects the nervous system and brain. Excessively high heat (about 40.0) can cause irreversible changes in the structure of the brain and cause disturbances in other organs, primarily in the kidneys, liver and pancreas.
You cannot rely on traditional medicine if a high temperature rises and lasts for several hours in newborns and children up to one year old. Babies that have just been born have an imperfect thermoregulation system; at high temperatures, they quickly lose heat and moisture, dehydration may occur, and convulsions and respiratory failure may begin.
There is no need to waste precious minutes and try alternative medicine recipes on your baby. He definitely needs a good antipyretic drug. Paracetamol and drugs containing paracetamol as the main active ingredient are suitable for such young patients.
In the next video, Dr. Komarovsky’s advice does not cover the topic of childhood fever.
Traditional methods of reducing fever should not be tried on children whose temperature has consistently remained above 39.5 for more than three days. In this situation, medications are also required; both paracetamol and ibuprofen are suitable.
Folk remedies cannot replace qualified emergency medical care with the use of antipyretic drugs, both in tablets and in injections. They are necessary if the child has a high temperature accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, or the baby complains of abdominal pain. Such conditions require an urgent response, since vomiting and diarrhea contribute to a very rapid loss of fluid, which can be fatal for a small child in case of untimely medical assistance.
You should not start home treatment with improvised means if the child has a history of serious illnesses internal organs(congenital or acquired). In this situation, any jump in temperature to 38.0 or higher should be a signal for reasonable parents that it’s time to call a doctor or an ambulance.
If the fever is accompanied by convulsions, loss of consciousness, pallor and severe lethargy, this is also a reason to urgently seek medical help and not give the baby tea with honey and raspberries.
Children can be cleansed with water at room temperature. This gives a minor and short-term effect, usually within half an hour the fever returns again. But rubbing with water is harmless, so they can be repeated with enviable persistence and frequency.
Small children are allowed to do enemas with warm water. For babies up to six months, no more than 60 ml of liquid is injected into the rectum, for children from 6 months to a year - no more than 160 ml. This procedure has one very important disadvantage - any enema is not very useful for the intestinal microflora, and therefore you should think carefully several times before lowering a baby’s temperature in this way.
It can also be used for wiping. Concentrated acetic acid (70%) is not suitable for these purposes, you will need a weak solution - a maximum of 9%. It must be diluted in equal parts with water at room temperature. The resulting acidic liquid is used to wipe the body of a child stripped down to his underpants, avoiding the face and genitals. Then they allow the body to dry and cover the child with a thin blanket. You can't wrap up your baby. As in the case of ordinary water, the effect of this procedure lasts no more than 30-40 minutes, then the rubdown must be repeated.
If you make small gauze lotions with such a vinegar solution on the temples, forehead, calves, and inner part elbow bend and hold until dry, the effect will be less pronounced, but slightly longer lasting.
Many doctors are against wiping children with vinegar and alcohol and recommend using water for wiping.
Rubbing with vinegar and lotions with an acidic solution are not recommended for small children, but there is a way out - soak the socks in the solution and put them on the baby’s feet. You should take off your socks after 20 minutes. Repeat the procedure as the fever rises again.
A very popular way to lower the temperature does not involve pure vodka, but its 50% solution with water. Rub the child with this mixture and then fan him with a towel for 30-40 minutes. This method, although labor-intensive, is very effective and in some cases one or two procedures are enough to reduce the fever and not rise again. But many doctors speak out against this method of reducing temperature.
Now let's listen to Dr. Komarovsky about wiping with vinegar and alcohol.
Compresses with this remedy are applied to the area of the veins on the inside of the elbow. There's tenderness and thin skin, therefore it is important to observe that the brine does not cause any aggressive irritant reaction. Many parents rate this method as quite effective.
Every family with children should have a supply of these swamp berries in the freezer. Cranberry juice in high heat is an excellent diaphoretic. It allows you to reduce your temperature within half an hour after drinking the drink. The effect lasts for several hours.
Herbal tea, which can be brewed from the flowers of this tree, promotes increased sweating, which means a fairly rapid drop in the thermometer. The herbal mixture is sold in any pharmacy; you need to brew it by taking a teaspoon of the raw material and pouring a glass of boiling water. This healing tea is steeped for about half an hour, after which you can add a spoonful of honey. This method is not suitable for small children, because both linden and honey are quite strong allergens.
And even if in a healthy state the little one tolerates both of these products well, then during the period when his immunity is doing important work in the fight against pathogenic microbes and viruses, an allergy to such a drink may well appear.
A liter jar of pine needles needs to be turned into a pulp using a regular meat grinder, mixed with honey (no more than two tablespoons). Mix everything. From the resulting mass you need to make small cakes. One of them is placed on a piece of fabric and applied to the baby's chest, the second - to the back. Hold for about 15 minutes, after which the temperature should begin to decrease within half an hour.
Ginger is peeled and grated. The resulting tart mass must be dosed carefully. For half a glass of warm tea you need to put no more than half a teaspoon of ginger mixture, stir and give the child to drink. The fever will subside almost immediately. In addition, ginger has a general strengthening effect. Ginger tea is not suitable for children under 6-7 years of age; it can cause irritation to the digestive system.
The onset of negative consequences of fever in children, especially small ones, is several times higher than in adults. Convulsions and loss of consciousness, breathing problems and the development of acute heart failure cannot be predicted in any way; these conditions have practically no precursors.
The danger of self-medicating children's fever lies in the fact that parents who decide not to call a doctor take responsibility for the life of the baby. Lost time in cases of high fever plays a key role.
Let's listen in the next video to the dangers of self-medication of childhood diseases.
It can be very difficult to understand the reason for the rise in temperature on your own. The higher the fever, the more careful and urgent examination the child requires.
