Increased body temperature is the body's reaction to some kind of stimulus. As a rule, the cause of this condition is infectious agents - ARVI and influenza. In this case, the human body tries to mobilize the work of all organs and systems, therefore it synthesizes bioactive compounds that can overcome the pathogen. Not all parents know about what temperature should be brought down in a child. It is worth dealing with this issue.
It is very important to measure the temperature correctly
Additional Information. Temperature fluctuations in children are normal. It becomes more stable in girls at the age of 13-14, and in adolescent boys only by the age of 18.
According to the degree of increase in body temperature, doctors distinguish several types of fever:
- subfebrile - 37-38 ° C;
- moderate - 38-39 ° C;
- high - 39-41 ° С;
- excessively high (hyperthermic fever) - over 41 ° C.
Small children tolerate the rise in temperature fairly well. It sometimes rises in them even from minor reasons. For example, if ARVI in adults provokes a rise in temperature to 38-38.5 ° C, then in children the temperature rises to 39-40 ° C.
Temperature measurement in babies
Important! A temperature of 37.1 ° C in the first months of life is considered normal.
Etiology of temperature in children
A febrile state is observed with various pathologies of bacterial and viral origin. Each infection has its own type of fever. Body temperature can rise if you have the following health problems:
- allergy;
- thyroid disease;
- the formation of tumors;
- bad ecology;
- teething in babies;
- severe overheating;
- poisoning;
- reaction to vaccination;
- overwork;
- increased background radiation;
- congenital heart disease;
- hyperactivity;
- drug overdose;
- unbalanced complementary foods;
- psycho-emotional overload;
- inflammatory reactions in the kidneys, lungs, throat, ear, etc .;
- rare walks in the fresh air;
- systemic connective tissue diseases.
Note. In children, the mechanism of thermoregulation is not fully formed. Therefore, when overheated, the temperature can easily rise. This applies to both excessive wrapping and dressing and prolonged sun exposure.
Clinical examination of the child
Temperature measurement methods
There are several options for measuring temperature. These methods include:
- Axillary. It will not work to quickly measure body temperature with an ordinary thermometer. You need to keep it in the armpit for at least 10 minutes.
- Oral. This method is best for children over 4 years of age. The device is placed under the tongue and held for at least 3 minutes. Normally, the thermometer should not exceed 37 ° C.
- Rectal. One of the fastest and best ways to measure body temperature in infants and children under 4 years of age. Before inserting the device into the anus, it must be lubricated with vegetable oil or baby cream. The normal temperature is considered to be up to 37.5 ° C. It takes only 20-30 seconds to determine body temperature.
Note. If the child does not have a very high temperature for a long time (for several weeks), the baby must be shown to the pediatrician without fail.
Symptoms of increased temperature
At elevated temperatures, a child may have the following symptoms:
- excessive sweating;
- chills;
- rapid breathing;
- muscle pain;
- drowsiness;
- tearfulness;
- delusions and hallucinations;
- pain in the eyes;
- passivity;
- increased irritability;
- weakness;
- headache;
- loss of appetite.
Diagnostics
If a child's temperature rises to 38.5 degrees without symptoms, many parents do not know what to do in such a situation. Of course, the help of a doctor is needed, especially if such temperature jumps began to occur frequently. The specialist will prescribe examinations such as:
- analysis of biochemistry of urine and blood;
- x-ray;
- scatological studies.
In some cases, additional research may be needed to make an accurate diagnosis:
- ionogram of urine and blood;
- x-ray of the nasopharynx;
- endoscopy of the digestive system;
- echocardiography;
- lymphatic fluid biopsy.
What to do if a child has a fever
In all cases, when the baby's temperature rises, parents must adhere to several rules:
- Do not panic.
- Provide room ventilation (room temperature should be 16-18 ° C), while drafts should be avoided.
- Carry out wet cleaning in the room.
- Make the baby a tasty drink and drink him constantly (at a high temperature, the child is given 100 ml of liquid per 1 kg of body weight per day).
- Do not wrap the baby in a blanket, do not use diapers.
- Wipe the child with water, the temperature of which is equal to the temperature of his body (rubbing is contraindicated in case of chills).
Council. With hyperthermia, you need to pay attention not to the indicators of the thermometer, but to the well-being of the child. This "golden" rule should be learned by all parents.
Each of us should know when to lower the temperature in a child
What temperature should be brought down in a child
Many doctors point out that an increase in temperature to 38.5 ° C in case of infectious diseases is quite normal and should not be brought down. Such a reaction only indicates a strong immune resistance of the organism. Lowering the temperature with antipyretics can weaken the immune system and affect the course of further recovery.
What you need to bring down the temperature of a child, you can ask the pediatrician
Additional Information. With viral pathologies, the child's skin retains a bright, pink tint, while with a bacterial infection, the skin becomes anemic.
Do I need to bring down the temperature of 39 in a child
A temperature of 39 degrees often occurs with bacterial, viral diseases (ARVI, measles, stomatitis, otitis media, flu, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, chickenpox, tonsillitis, meningitis, etc.). It is necessary to monitor the condition of the child, if he feels normal and drinks a lot of fluids, then using antipyretics can be postponed. With a sharp rise in temperature, it is necessary to give medicine.
Does a child need to bring down the temperature of 38
If a child has a body temperature of 38 ° C, it should not be knocked down, as this can reduce the protective function of the body. In this case, you just need to monitor the well-being of the baby. When, during a fever in young children, the temperature rises above 38.5 ° C, it is desirable to lower it, but it must be remembered that each organism is individual, in this case only a doctor can make the right decision.
Some routine vaccinations can cause an increase in body temperature
Do I need to bring down the temperature of 37 in a child
Temperature 37.0 ° C is the upper limit of the norm when measured in the armpit. If thermometry is carried out in the mouth or rectum, the norm indicators expand - up to 37.5 ° C. Therefore, pediatricians highly discourage the use of antipyretics in such a situation. The exception is children with neurological diseases, seizures and meteorological dependence. In such cases, it is recommended to apply therapeutic measures already at 37.5 ° C.
How to bring down the temperature of a child under one year old
Hyperthermia should be regarded not as a pathology, but as a means of fighting the body against disease. If a small patient does not have anomalies associated with the respiratory system and the cardiovascular system, then it is recommended to give antipyretics to him at a temperature above 38.5 ° C. If the baby has convulsions, or the temperature rises sharply at night, then the temperature should be lowered already at 38 ° C.
If a child has a temperature above 38 ° C before three months, an ambulance should be called on the day off. The doctor will prescribe an effective antipyretic agent and determine the dosage of the medication. Before the doctor arrives, you can try to bring down the temperature with non-drug methods.
When to use medicines
Antipyretic medicines can be used at 38.5 degrees and above. It is best to use medications in the form of syrups and suppositories. The effect of antipyretic syrups begins in 20-30 minutes, rectal suppositories - in 30-40 minutes. Candles have a more gentle effect on the digestive tract of the baby, but if the baby has not emptied the intestines for a long time, then the use of suppositories can provoke colic.
Council. Medicinal syrups should not be mixed with water or milk. Before using this or that remedy, you need to carefully read the instructions and strictly adhere to the dosage of the drug by age. In no case should you take several antipyretic drugs at the same time, as this can sharply lower body temperature and cause vasospasm.
Pediatricians recommend going to the hospital in the following cases:
- The child is less than a year old.
- The baby had "white fever".
- The presence of seizures, hallucinations and delusions.
- The child refuses to drink.
- Parents are afraid to treat their child at home.
Methods without medication to lower the temperature
Herbal teas are often used to lower the temperature. This can be sage, chamomile, thyme, or another plant. At the same time, the described substances not only help to eliminate fever, they also have anti-inflammatory, expectorant and analgesic effects.
Among the healthy drinks that lower the temperature, one can single out lingonberry and cranberry juice. These foods are high in ascorbic acid. They increase the body's resistance, have immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and bactericidal effects. You can drink them in unlimited quantities, which cannot be said about herbs. Some plants, when consumed in high doses, can cause allergies.
Council. The methods of traditional healers should not be tested on babies whose temperature has stubbornly kept above 39.5 for more than three days. In this situation, it is better to start using Ibuprofen or Paracetamol.
Effective and safe antipyretic
Antipyretic medicines are always used if the child has a temperature above 38.5 degrees. The most effective of them are the following:
- Nurofen. It has anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, analgesic effects. It is used for infectious diseases, flu, colds, as well as body reactions after vaccination. The medicine has a very quick effect and can effectively reduce painful manifestations.
- Flucomp. This complex action drug effectively lowers the temperature, eliminates pain, constricts blood vessels, lowers the intensity of a cold, and blocks the appearance of allergic reactions.
- Paracetamol. It is allowed to use from 1 month after birth. Among the indications for the use of this remedy are influenza, ARVI, pain syndrome of unknown origin.
Its useful to note! In case of an overdose, there may be various kinds of side effects in the form of decreased appetite, nausea and allergies.
- Panadol. It can be used even for babies, since it does not provoke swelling, as well as fluid retention. It is indicated for use for colds, teething, otitis media, whooping cough, chickenpox, scarlet fever, rubella and other infections. This antipyretic and analgesic drug is prescribed for babies from 3 months in an individual dosage.
- Efferalgan. This tool is used as an analgesic and antipyretic. Rectal suppositories can be used to eliminate fever in infants from 4 weeks.
- Ibufen. It has analgesic and antipyretic properties. In childhood, this medicine is used in a dosage that is calculated depending on the age and weight of the child.
- Tsefekon D. The medicine is available in the form of suppositories, it is recommended for use from 3 months to 12 years. With the appointment of a doctor, it is also used at a younger age. The important advantages of the drug are its low cost and versatility of action. In addition to lowering the temperature, Cefekon D has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.
When you don't need to knock down the temperature
Fever is a natural reaction to infection entering the body. It indicates healthy immunity. Artificially lowering the temperature can weaken the protection, therefore, it is not worth resorting to it without sufficient good reason, at least until the thermometer shows more than 38.5 ° C.
Note. In the presence of fever, pediatricians do not recommend using Analgin for a child, since it is able to inhibit hematopoiesis. After taking this medicine, many cases of loss of consciousness, manifestations of allergic reactions, a sharp drop in temperature to 35 ° C were recorded.
With hyperthermia in a one-year-old child, you should not engage in self-diagnosis and self-medication. After lowering the mark on the thermometer, it is imperative to visit a doctor and establish the cause of this symptom. Every mother should know how and when to bring down the temperature of a child.
