What to do if your baby has a fever
General
The appearance of fever in children is a common phenomenon.
Babies and toddlers in particular often experience elevated temperatures. If a baby has a fever, one should therefore not panic, but observe it first.
Basically, fever is a natural defense mechanism of the body and serves to fight pathogens that have entered.
Babies and small children are very often sick, have a cold, a flu-like infection or even a gastrointestinal infection. Babies often feverish during these illnesses. It should be noted here that the fever is not reduced at any cost.
Symptoms
If a baby has a fever or a very high fever, typical symptoms develop that the mother can recognize by looking at her baby.
These include, among other things Red face or reddened cheeks. Besides, that is Face hot. The body is in contrast to the face at the beginning rather pale and cold.
A baby can have a fever sleepy and tired Act. Some babies seem more nagging or restless. Babies may want eat less or a complete one Refusal to eat can occur as part of a fever.
However, children and babies react individually to fever.
Despite a fever, it is possible for some babies to do well appear healthyby moving, playing or laughing. So some babies give more or less cause for concern depending on their behavior.
In addition to the symptoms caused by the fever, there are a number of other symptoms that vary according to the type of illness. At a Respiratory infection can, for example, the baby additionally sniff and to cough have and one clearly red throat demonstrate.
In the context of gastrointestinal infections can besides fever additionally diarrhea or Vomit occur.
Causes of fever
A fever can have many different causes. Mostly it occurs as part of a infection on. Such an infection can occur in a relatively localized manner, for example in a Otitis media.
However, it can be the same as with typical childhood diseases measles or rubella be systemic as well. Fever as part of an infection is much more common in babies than in infectious diseases in adults.
For example, the most common illnesses that lead to fever in babies Gastrointestinal infectionsthat are additionally with Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea accompanied.
The otitis media that typically occurs in babies and children can also cause a fever.
Sick babies and children often reach for the affected ear.
Another condition that is relatively common and associated with a fever in the baby is one Respiratory infection by bacteria. She often goes with them to cough, sniff, Sore throat, sometimes one Inflammation of the tonsils so that swallowing becomes painful.
Rather rare as a trigger of fever in the baby is serious infectious diseases such as one lung infection or from diseases from the so-called rheumatic field to think. However, there are rheumatic diseases that lead to fever in babies rather seldom.
On the other hand, one has to think of the typical childhood diseases much more often when a baby develops a fever. These typical teething problems include, among others Scarlet fever, rubella, measles or that too Three-day fever.
Please also read: Scarlet fever in the baby
Also the so-called Febrile seizure is not uncommon. As a rule, it occurs from the 6th month to the 5th year of life.
The picture of a febrile seizure is usually very frightening for the parents, because the children are like one epileptic seizure twitching, no longer responding to speech and often holding your breath during the cramp and therefore turn blue.
Other symptoms can do that Rolling eyes, brief loss of consciousness or even complete Cramp of the whole musculature.
The febrile seizure looks very threatening, but it is usually more likely harmless and usually does not cause damage to children's brains. It has nothing to do with an epileptic fit.
Three-day fever
A fever in the baby can also be caused by the three-day fever. It is a relatively common childhood disease and is also by that name Exanthema subitum or Roseola infantum known.
The 3-day fever is caused by a harmless viruswhich is highly contagious.
The virus belongs to the large group of Herpes viruses. The viral disease occurs acutely and suddenly and disappears on its own after a few days.
So this condition is self-limiting and mainly affects babies and toddlers. In contrast to many other childhood diseases, there is no prophylactic vaccination for 3-day fever.
As the name suggests is the main symptom sudden occurrence from fever up to 40 ° C for mostly three days.
After the fever has subsided, a typical occurrence finally occurs Rash on the body. This classic combination of a drop in fever followed by a rash is classic for 3-day fever.
The rash will go away on its own after a while. The sick small children can often appear seriously ill, even if it is actually a rather harmless disease.
The rash that occurs with three-day fever is small spots and red.
It occurs within a few hours. Especially the tribe (so stomach, chest and back) are affected.
The rash rarely affects the face or head. Additional symptoms of three-day fever can occur Vomit and diarrhea, but also swollen lymph nodes be on the neck.
diarrhea
Diarrhea is also relatively common in babies and children.
When the baby more than five gives up thin stools a day, it is called diarrhea. As part of a diarrheal illness, there is also often a fever or Fever attacks.
If both diarrhea and fever occur in babies or small children together, one can assume a gastrointestinal infection. This can be caused by bacteria as well as viruses.
The most common infections with the Noro virus or Rota virus. These are highly contagious and often spread via toilet seats, door handles or railings.
The Noro virus causes sudden severe diarrhea in toddlers or babies, such as Vomit. A fever can also occur.
The thin stool is usually smelly. When a baby has diarrhea, it is particularly important that the baby eats and drinks enough to make up for the fluid deficit that results from both the diarrhea and the fever.
If this is no longer guaranteed, it is advisable to consult a doctor or a hospital, as this situation can be very dangerous for the baby.
teething
The baby may sometimes experience high temperatures or fever during teething.
Often this fever is not caused by the actual teething, but a disease that occurs at the same time.
Find out more about this topic:
- Fever when teething
Teething in babies is a completely normal process that can be accompanied by pain as the tooth has to make its way through the gums.
However, experts are mostly of the opinion that the fever does not come directly from teething, but often from accompanying illnesses such as an incipient otitis media or a cold, which, apart from the fever, may otherwise be rather inconspicuous.
One of the reasons for this is that babies are significantly more susceptible to infections during the teething period. A good indication of whether a tooth is about to erupt or not is the occurrence of increased drooling.
Read more on this topic at: Teething in the baby.
diagnosis
The diagnosis can be based on the combination of Eye diagnosis with the typical symptoms and the increased temperature at Fever measurements with the thermometer.
The most accurate method of determining temperature is that Measurement of the fever in the buttocks. Although this is not particularly pleasant for the child, it gives the most accurate value. A distinction is made between a high temperature, fever and high fever based on the temperature.
So-called elevated temperature exists in a baby when a temperature of 37.6-38.5 degrees Celsius is measured. A temperature of 38.5 degrees Celsius is called a fever. By definition, high fever exists above 39 degrees Celsius. Threatening For the body, temperatures are above 41.5 degrees Celsius, as the body contains a number of proteins and these cannot withstand the high temperatures.
Since fever is usually not the only symptom in the baby, the other symptoms provide additional information about the disease.
therapy
In therapy, a general, symptomatic therapy of the fever has to be distinguished from a causal therapy, i.e. therapy of the disease causing the fever.The symptomatic therapy, in turn, can be divided into a non-drug and a drug therapy.
It is essential to ensure that a feverish baby is given sufficient fluids.
As the body temperature rises, the body's need for fluids also increases.
Moist calf compresses can be used to lower the fever. However, it should not be used if the person is cold. They shouldn't be too cold either. A whole range of drugs can be used in drug therapy to lower fever.
For more information, see: Calf wrap for fever
From the group of so-called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) ibuprofen, acetylsalicylic acid and diclofenac can be used to lower fever. In addition, metamizole, also known as novalgin, and paracetamol can be used optimally to lower fever. If a causal therapy for the fever is sought, the cause must first be diagnosed. If the most likely cause of the disease and thus of the fever, for example, is a bacterial infection of the respiratory tract, an antibiotic can be used to fight the infection and consequently the fever. The choice of antibiotic depends on the age and the expected germs.
Fever after vaccination
A vaccination reaction can occur after a vaccination. This is a harmless reaction after a vaccination that usually goes away quickly. It should be noted that most people can tolerate vaccination without any problems.
A vaccination reaction must also be differentiated from vaccination side effects, which are also known as vaccination complications. This results in damage to health that requires therapy and which often remains permanent. Their occurrence is extremely rare and, for example, for an intestinal invagination as a complication of a Rota virus vaccination, is 1 per 60,000 vaccinated doses.
A vaccination reaction can result in a local reaction with pain and swelling of the vaccination site, but also a generalized reaction. One of these generalized reactions can be expressed as a fever. A slight fever can develop after about 5-6 hours and can last for up to three days. The body's reaction with a fever in the course of a vaccination is completely harmless and is a sign of an immune reaction in the body that is ultimately intended by the vaccination. ( You can find out more about the topic here: Fever in baby after vaccinations)
A vaccination reaction can often be observed after the diphtheria-tetanus vaccination.
Read more about this under Vaccinations Baby or Should I Have My Baby Vaccinated ?.
The baby has a high fever
The normal body temperature is around 36.8 degrees Celsius and is subject to fluctuations throughout the day. From 37.5 degrees Celsius is from so-called subfebrile temperatures talk about what as much as high temperature means, but by definition does not represent a fever. From temperature values of 38.5 degrees Celsius one speaks of fever. By definition, high fever is present from 39 to 40 degrees Celsius.
In newborns, temperatures above 37.8 degrees Celsius, measured rectally, are already considered a fever. While the thermometer tends to show subfebrile temperatures in the case of banal flu-like infections, the thermometer rises in the case of severe infections such as the flu or a classic one bacterial pneumonia to high values above 39 or 40 degrees Celsius.
Threatening for the body Temperatures over 41.5 degrees Celsiusbecause the body contains a number of proteins and these cannot withstand the high temperatures. Such high temperatures are rare because the body usually limits fever upwards. High fever in particular should be treated relatively quickly, also with medication.
40 ° C: Fever over 39 to 40 degrees Celsius is defined as a high fever. If even at these temperatures there is still no stop and values above 41 degrees Celsius are measured, then one speaks of hyperpyrexia. Temperatures above 41.5 degrees Celsius pose a threat to the body, as the body contains a number of proteins and these cannot withstand the high temperatures. In the case of hyperpyrexia, the setpoint for the body temperature is too high, so that this is a dysregulation of the body temperature. Such an increase in temperature of the body must necessarily and urgently be treated.
You might also be interested in: Pneumonia in the baby
