When Should You Take Baby to Er for Fever

All kids get a fever from time to time. A fever itself usually causes no harm and can actually be a good thing — it'south frequently a sign that the trunk is fighting an infection.

But when your child wakes in the middle of the nighttime flushed, hot, and sweaty, it'southward like shooting fish in a barrel to be unsure of what to exercise next. Should you get out the thermometer? Call the md?

Here'southward more about fevers, including when to contact your doctor.

What Is a Fever?

Fever happens when the trunk's internal "thermostat" raises the body temperature higher up its normal level. This thermostat is constitute in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus knows what temperature your torso should be (commonly around 98.6°F/37°C) and volition send messages to your body to keep information technology that mode.

About people's body temperatures change a little bit during the course of the day: It'south usually a picayune lower in the morning and a lilliputian higher in the evening and tin can vary equally kids run around, play, and exercise.

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

What Causes Fevers?

Information technology's important to remember that fever by itself is not an affliction — information technology'south ordinarily a sign or symptom of another trouble.

Fevers can exist caused by a few things, including:

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

Overdressing: Infants, especially newborns, may go fevers if they're overbundled or in a hot surroundings considering they don't regulate their body temperature as well every bit older kids. Merely because fevers in newborns can bespeak a serious infection, fifty-fifty infants who are overdressed must be checked by a doctor if they accept a fever.

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

Although teething may cause a slight rise in body temperature, it'southward probably not the cause if a child'southward temperature is higher than 100°F (37.eight°C).

When Is a Fever a Sign of Something Serious?

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

Doctors make up one's mind on whether to treat a fever by considering both the temperature and a child's overall condition.

Kids whose temperatures are lower than 102°F (38.9°C) often don't need medicine unless they're uncomfortable. There's 1 important exception: If an baby iii 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. Fifty-fifty a slight fever tin be a sign of a potentially serious infection in very young babies.

If your child is betwixt 3 months and iii years old and has a fever of 102.ii°F (39°C) or college, call to see if your dr. needs to run into 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 pocket-sized illness is the cause or if your kid should be seen by a doctor.

The illness is probably not serious if your child:

• is still interested in playing
• is eating and drinking well
• is alarm and smiling at you
• has a normal peel color
• looks well when his or her temperature comes down

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

Is it a Fever?

A gentle osculation on the forehead or a hand placed lightly on the skin is often plenty to requite y'all a hint that your child has a fever. Yet, this method of taking a temperature (called tactile temperature) won't requite an authentic measurement.

Use a reliable digital thermometer to ostend a fever. Information technology's a fever when a kid'southward temperature is at or higher up i of these levels:

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

Just how high a fever is doesn't tell you much about how sick your child is. A simple common cold or other viral infection tin can sometimes cause a rather loftier fever (in the 102°–104°F/38.nine°–40°C range), but this doesn't usually mean there's a serious problem. In fact, a serious infection, particularly in infants, might cause no fever or even a depression torso temperature (below 97°F or 36.1°C).

Considering fevers can rising and fall, a child might have chills as the body'southward temperature begins to ascension. The kid may sweat to release extra heat as the temperature starts to drop.

Sometimes kids with a fever breathe faster than usual and may take a faster heart charge per unit. Call the doctor if your child has problem animate, is animate faster than normal, or is still animate fast after the fever comes downwardly.

How Can I Help My Kid Feel Amend?

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

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

Medicines

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

Infants younger than 2 months old should non exist given any medicine for fever without existence checked by a doctor. If your kid has whatsoever medical problems, check with the dr. to see which medicine is all-time to employ. Remember that fever medicine tin temporarily bring a temperature down, but usually won't return it to normal — and it won't treat the underlying reason for the fever.

Home Comfort Measures

Clothes your kid in lightweight clothing and comprehend with a light sail or blanket. Overdressing and overbundling can prevent body oestrus from escaping and can crusade the temperature to ascension.

Brand sure your child's bedroom is a comfortable temperature — not too hot or too cold.

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

Food and Drinks

Offer plenty of fluids to avert dehydration because fevers make kids lose fluids more chop-chop than usual. Water, soup, water ice pops, and flavored gelatin are all skillful choices. Avoid drinks with caffeine, including colas and tea, because they tin can make dehydration worse by increasing urination (peeing).

If your child as well is airsickness and/or has diarrhea, enquire the doc if yous should requite an electrolyte (rehydration) solution made especially for kids. You tin detect these at drugstores and supermarkets. Don't offer sports drinks — they're not made for younger children and the added sugars can brand diarrhea worse. Also, limit your child's intake of fruits and apple tree juice.

In full general, let kids consume what they want (in reasonable amounts), just don't force it if they don't feel similar it.

Taking it Easy

Make sure your child gets plenty of rest. Staying in bed all solar day isn't necessary, but a sick child should have it easy.

It'due south all-time to continue a child with a fever home from school or childcare. Near doctors feel that it'south rubber to return when the temperature has been normal for 24 hours.

When Should I Telephone call the Physician?

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

Call your medico if you have an:

• babe younger than iii months one-time with a rectal temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher
• older child with a temperature of higher than 102.two°F (39°C)

Also call if an older child has a fever of lower than 102.2°F (39°C) simply likewise:

• refuses fluids or seems too ill to drinkable adequately
• has lasting diarrhea or repeated airsickness
• has whatsoever signs of dehydration (peeing less than usual, not having tears when crying, less warning and less active than usual)
• has a specific complaint (like a sore throat or earache)
• still has a fever later 24 hours (in kids younger than ii years former) or 72 hours (in kids 2 years or older)
• is getting fevers a lot, even if they merely final a few hours each dark
• has a chronic medical problem, such as heart disease, cancer, lupus, or sickle prison cell illness
• has a rash
• has pain while peeing

Become emergency care if your kid shows any of these signs:

• crying that won't finish
• farthermost irritability or fussiness
• sluggishness and problem waking upwardly
• a rash or purple spots that expect like bruises on the skin (that were not there before your child got sick)
• blue lips, natural language, or nails
• infant's soft spot on the head seems to be bulging out or sunken in
• potent neck
• severe headache
• limpness or refusal to motion
• problem breathing that doesn't get better when the nose is cleared
• leaning forward and drooling
• seizure
• moderate to severe belly pain

Besides, ask if your doctor has specific guidelines on when to call about 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 act can be more than important than the reading on your thermometer. Anybody gets a picayune cranky when they accept a fever. This is normal and should exist expected.

But if you lot're ever in incertitude virtually what to do or what a fever might hateful, or if your child is acting ill in a way that concerns you even if in that location's no fever, always call your doctor for advice.

When Should You Take Baby to Er for Fever

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

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