Parents of all small kids worry when a child's temperature rises, but doctors say a fever itself causes no harm and can actually be a good thing, being your body's way of fighting infections
Sonam Kapoor, mother to a two-year-old boy, took to Instagram recently wondering if it is safe to let children fight a fever naturally. This question is something all parents worry about. Should you wait for a fever to subside on its own or quickly give them medications, which itself has many side effects?
Parents of all small kids, including babies and toddlers, worry when a child's temperature rises, but doctors say a fever itself causes no harm and can actually be a good thing, often being your body's way of fighting infections. However, it can also have immense side effects if the body temperature goes way above the danger mark. And so, it is important to always monitor the situation, especially when it comes to high temperatures in very small children.
Signs and symptoms of fever in small kids
According to doctors, a child who has a fever may be:
- Fussy
- Uncomfortable
- Warm to the touch
- Flushed
- Sweaty
- Irritability
- General weakness
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, if your child is younger than three months of age and has a temperature of 101.4°F (39°C) or higher, you should call your child's healthcare provider right away. If you are unsure, always check with your child's healthcare provider for a diagnosis.
Also, it is best to keep the kid with a fever home from school until their temperature has been normal for at least 24 hours.
When should fever be treated?
In children, a fever that is making them uncomfortable should be treated. Treating your child's fever will not help the body get rid of the infection any faster but will help relieve any discomfort linked to it.
Children between the ages of six months and five years can develop seizures from fever, known as febrile seizures. If your child does have a febrile seizure, there is a chance that the condition may occur again. However, according to doctors, children usually outgrow febrile seizures, which does not mean your child has epilepsy.
There is no evidence that treating the fever will reduce the risk of a febrile seizure.
Easy ways to reduce your child’s fever
To naturally bring down a high temperature in children, you can do the following:
- Give your child anti-fever medicine like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. However, make sure to not give them aspirin as it is linked to a serious and potentially fatal disease, called Reye syndrome.
- Dress your child lightly as excess clothing only traps body heat and causes the temperature to rise.
- Make the child drink lots of fluids like water, juices, or popsicles.
- Give the child a bath with lukewarm water to bring down body temperature.
- Let your child eat what they want, but do not force it if they don’t feel like eating.
- If your child also is vomiting or has diarrhoea, ask the doctor if you should give a children's oral rehydration solution.
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