Everything You Should Know About Children’s Fever

If in any case, your little child catches any chronic disease, then it becomes a matter of great concern for the parents as well. Similarly, if a child gets a fever, parents will be worried for sure about the child’s health and will want proper treatment of fever for the child. So, it is quite necessary for the parents to have a clear idea about what fever in children might look like, to what extent it will be considered an emergency, and whether the fever can be treated at home- if so, then how, the noticeable symptoms that will make you sure that your child has a fever, when to take the child, what can be the possible ways of treating fever in children and, whether the occurrences of such fever can be prevented at all. So, this is quite important, especially for the parents of infants and little children to have a clear idea about how to treat and take care of their children if they have a fever.

What Does Fever Look Like in Children? Everything You Should Know About It

In every human being, the average body temperature is around 98.6°F or 37°C. When a person gets a fever, then his or her body temperature increases from this normal temperature range, and the body temperature will keep on fluctuating throughout the day. The body temperature increases because it gives a warning that an external germ or infection has entered the body and the immune system of the body is fighting against it. The same condition happens to children also.

The average body temperatures during a fever for adults, children, and babies are:

• In adults and children: 100.4°F or 38°C as oral temperature and

• In babies who are below one year of age: 99°F or 37.2°C in the armpits or 100.4°F or 38°C as the rectal temperature.

The Symptoms Of Fever

There are some of the symptoms that are associated with fever in both adults and in children. Some of the symptoms of fever are listed below:

• Mild to severe shivering along with chills
• Body aches and muscle pains
• Swelling of throat
• Rashes or itching in the skin
• Slight to severe headache
• lack of appetite
• Excessive tiredness, fatigue, and feeling of exhaustion
• chances of getting dehydrated

Possible Causes Of Fever:

Exactly what is the correct factor that is responsible for the occurrence of fever in children is unknown to physicians. But there are several assumptions about the causes of fever. Some of them are listed here as follows:

• Sudden occurrence of any infection, such as flu, common cold, pneumonia, or Covid- 19 related infections
• Side effects of certain vaccinations such as Covid- 19 vaccines, or vaccines for diphtheria or tetanus
• teething in infants
• blood clots or thrombosis
• due to the intense heat of the sun
• food poisoning
• from some medicinal drugs such as antibiotics

Treatment of Fever at Home

Fever is quite a common occurrence among both young children and adults and thus can be easily treated at home with some effective home remedies. The methods of treating the fever of your child at home are listed here as follows:

• Make your child drink plenty of fluids throughout the day, this may be through water, fruit juices, milk, and so on. The purpose of drinking so much fluid is to prevent the body from getting dehydrated and get the normal body temperature back
• Apply ice packs or ice water on their heads and foreheads
• Using paracetamol tablets and over the counter medicines such as aspirin
• The surrounding room temperature should be kept at an optimum level
• Organize a bath or a sponge on the child’s body with lukewarm water.

How To Treat Fever In Children

There are different methods of the treatment of fever in children, but the treatment procedures vary on the basis of their age. Some of those methods are listed here as follows:

For children who are 3 months old or younger:

1. Measure the body temperature

When you feel that your child’s body temperature is higher than normal, then it is advisable to measure the body temperature immediately using a thermometer. If the temperature reading in the thermometer appears more than 99 F, then you should go for a second reading to confirm the fever in your child.

2. Call Your Pediatrician or a health care expert

When you find that your child is having the above-mentioned symptoms of fever, take your child to its concerned pediatrician or health care expert for immediate treatment and recovery.

For children who are older than three months Who Have Been Immunized:

1. Measure the body temperature

Measure and recheck the body temperature of your child to make sure that there is a presence of fever in your child. You should check the temperature in three different places of the body as follows:

• Rectal. When the age of your child is below 5 months, it is often recommended by physicians and health care experts to use a rectal thermometer to check the body temperature of your child. If the reading of a rectal thermometer reads 100.4 F or more, then you will know that your child has a fever.

• Oral. Though an oral thermometer is not for those who are 3 months of age, you can use an oral thermometer if your child is 4 or 5 months of age or older. If the oral thermometer temperature reads 100.4 F then it indicates the presence of fever in the child’s body.

• Armpit. At the age of 3 months or older, you can simply administer a thermometer into the armpit of a child to get the most accurate reading. A reading of 100.4 F or more temperature will surely indicate fever.

When To See A Doctor When Your Child Has Fever?

Sometimes, it might occur among children that the fever is severe enough and cannot be treated through home remedies. Then the child should be taken to the physician for getting expert opinions and for advanced treatments. The symptoms that will effectively let the parents know that it is time to see the doctor are as follows:

• If your child is at an age of 3 months or younger and his or her body temperature is more than 100.4°F or 38°C
• The age of your child is between 3 to 6 months and he or she has a body temperature of 102°F that is 38.9°C or more
• The age of your child is between 6 to 24 months and has a body temperature of more than 102°F is 38.9°C or more which does not go away easily.
• If your child’s fever continues for more than three days
• If the body temperature of the child goes on to increase more than 103°F
• Your child becomes, weak, restless, and irritable
• The child’s neck becomes stiff and there is mild to severe pain in the neck
• The fever is accompanied by nausea and vomiting, which may or may not be accompanied by abdominal pain
• Breathlessness or shortness of breath along with pain in the chest
• If your child has recently been jabbed with some vaccines

When Will Fever Be Considered As An Emergency?

Sometimes fever might become an alarming condition among children and at that time the doctors and health care experts might advise them to get admitted to hospitals also. Some of the symptoms that indicate an emergency in fever among children are as follows:

• The child cannot walk properly
• There is an occurrence of confusion in the child
• Breathing problems and breathlessness
• Mild to severe pain in the chest
• Occurrence of seizures
• The child cries incessantly
• The child seems to hallucinate

Can Fever Be Prevented Among Children?

There are certain ways that will effectively help to prevent the occurrence of fever among children. Some such ways are as follows:

• Preventing your children from getting exposed to infections that might cause fever and increase their body temperature
• Make it a habit for them to wash their hands properly with soap and water (they can use warm water for better results, if possible) before eating a meal and after using washrooms, and do not put any random things or dirty fingers into their mouth
• Rinse and brush their mouth properly after having a meal
• Covering their mouth during coughing or sneezing so that the germs do not spread from their mouth to the body of the other person or child present in front of them
• They should not touch their eyes, nose, and mouth with dirty hands, or in hands that are not sanitized because infections and other microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, and so on might spread through these touches
• Use hand wash and hand sanitizers before having a meal and use anti-bacterial wipes for cleaning hands and face. They should also learn to use sanitizers after sneezing or coughing.