The normal body temperature is 37 degrees Celsius. If the body temperature rises above this level, the person develops a fever. In children with a fever, symptoms such as forehead and body heat, lethargy, fatigue, and mood swings appear. If fever is not controlled in infants and children, seizures and brain abnormalities occur. In fact, some people consider infantile fever to be a sign that the body’s immune system is fighting off pathogens, but it is essential to understand the cause and treat and control infantile fever as soon as possible. In this article, we have examined the main causes of infantile fever and explained how to control it.
The cause of fever in an infant
1- Infection: this illness helps the body fight infections by stimulating the body’s natural defense mechanisms. The body’s immune system shows a fever and fights the pathogen.
2- Excessive coverage of newborns: Covering newborns with a lot of clothes or exposure to hot weather may lead to symptoms of this illness.
3- Vaccination: Injection of some vaccines causes fever.
4- Teething: Teething raises the body temperature, but the child’s fever does not exceed 38 degrees.
5- Viral diseases: Viral fever occurs when a child’s body is exposed to a disease caused by a virus, including an intestinal infection, influenza or a common cold. Viral fever disappears within three days.
6- Bacterial diseases: Bacterial fever results from a bacterial infection such as an ear infection (which can be bacterial or viral), urinary tract infection, bacterial meningitis, or bacterial pneumonia. Bacterial infections are less common than viral infections, but if left untreated, they can lead to serious illness. Antibiotics are usually needed to treat bacterial infections.
Control of infant fever
1- Placing a wet tissue on the child’s forehead improves the fever. When the water evaporates from the child’s skin, this illness decreases and the temperature drops quickly. Do not use very cold water or ice, because it may raise the internal temperature of the infant. body or cause trauma to the child.
2- A warm water bath regulates the child’s body temperature and relieves fatigue and lethargy. You can bathe the baby 3 times a day to reduce the symptoms of this illness.
3- Milk can keep your baby hydrated and strengthen the immune system with the nutrients it contains. Even if the baby does not take your breast, change your path, but do not give up breastfeeding.
4- Cold milk, fruit juice and cold yogurt in babies over 6 months of age will hydrate the body. It is very important to keep the body hydrated and to replace the water lost through sweating.
5- Check the temperature of the child’s room, the room should not be too hot or cold. Also, keep the humidity level in the room balanced.
6- Avoid covering the child with a lot of clothes, as wearing a lot of clothes prevents the flow of air and the circulation of air to his body, and it is hard to lower his body temperature.
7- Put a thin blanket on the baby to sleep, and keep your baby in a comfortable room where the temperature is neither too hot nor too cold.
8- Rubbing the sole of the child with some warm oils is one way to reduce fever, apart from relaxation, it gives him better sleep and helps regulate body temperature. Rub some warm olive oil on the baby’s feet, gently press his toes with your fingers, and finally, massage his feet well, do this for a few minutes, and repeat if necessary.
Read about: What is the cause of excessive growth around the baby’s head?
Seizures if the fever is not controlled
A sudden rise in fever (for example, from 38.9 to 40.5°C) may cause convulsions.
This type of seizure is safe but must be controlled by a doctor.
An infant’s seizures present with the following symptoms:
- shortness of breath
- drooling
- Increased darkening of the eye
- Shake hands and feet
You can control your child’s seizures in this way:
- Immediately put him to sleep on his back or side and away from hard and sharp objects.
- Slowly turn the baby’s head to one side so that vomit or saliva comes out of his mouth easily.
- Make sure there is nothing in his mouth and that nothing is put in his mouth while he is having a seizure.
- Try to remember how long the seizure lasted.
- These types of seizures usually last anywhere from ten seconds to three or four minutes.
Fever medicine for children
- With your doctor’s approval, you can use children’s acetaminophen and ibuprofen to bring down a fever.
- The correct dose of medicine depends on the weight of the child.
- Never give a child any fever-reducing medicine more than the recommended number of times. The usual frequency of prescribing acetaminophen is every 4 hours and ibuprofen every 6 hours.
- Never give aspirin to your child. Aspirin may predispose a child to Reye’s syndrome. This disease is rare, but it can be fatal.
- Many cold and cough medicines also contain a feverfew ingredient such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
Result
Fever in children has different causes, from viral diseases to high coverage and sometimes hot weather can all be causes of fever, but sometimes fever is accompanied by other symptoms that can be signs of a serious illness in your child. Try to keep your body cool during a child’s fever, check all symptoms and see a doctor immediately if you see symptoms such as seizures. Our advice to you is that when your child has a fever, the fever should be checked constantly during sleep to prevent it from rising suddenly.
