Everyone knows that a strong increase in body temperature is very dangerous for health, but what exactly does this threaten us with? How exactly can temperature harm us? And how to behave in case of fever and fever? Website publishes a detailed and fascinating guide to high temperatures written by Robert Mendelsohn, America's foremost pediatrician and author of How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of the Doctors.
When you call a doctor to report a child's illness, the first question they almost always ask is, "Did you take your temperature?" And further, no matter what data you tell him - 38 or 40 degrees, he advises giving the child aspirin and bringing him to the appointment. It has become a ritual of almost all pediatricians. I suspect that many of them speak memorized phrases, even if they hear about a temperature of 43 degrees.
It worries me that pediatricians are asking the wrong questions and giving the wrong advice. Doctors see something extremely dangerous in raising the temperature, otherwise why is it their first concern? And from their advice to give the child aspirin, parents inevitably conclude that the treatment should be medication and aimed at lowering the temperature.
By measuring body temperature and recording its indicators in a medical record, admission begins in most children's clinics. There is nothing wrong. Fever is indeed an important diagnostic symptom in the context of subsequent examination. The problem is that it is given much more importance than it should. When a doctor sees a nurse's temperature on the chart, say 39.5 degrees, he invariably says, grimly, “Wow! Need to do something!".
His concern about temperature is nonsense, misleading nonsense! You don't have to do anything with the temperature rise itself. With absence additional symptoms, such as unusual behavior, extreme weakness, difficulty breathing, and others that suggest serious illnesses such as diphtheria and meningitis, the doctor should tell the parents that there is nothing to worry about and send them home with the child.
Given the exaggerated attention of doctors to fever, it is not surprising that most parents, according to sociological surveys, experience great fear of it. Moreover, this fear grows in proportion to the readings of the thermometer, while it is most often groundless.
Here are twelve facts about body temperature that will help you avoid many worries and your children unnecessary and dangerous tests, x-ray studies and medicines. These facts should be taken into account by every doctor, but many pediatricians prefer to ignore them and do not consider it necessary to acquaint their parents with them.
Fact #1.
A temperature of 37 degrees is not "normal" for everyone, as we have been told all our lives. This is simply not true. The established "norm" is very conditional, since the indicator of 37 degrees is the average value. Many people have a normal temperature higher or lower. This is especially true for children. Studies have shown that the body temperature in most absolutely healthy children is 35.9-37.5 degrees, and only in a few - exactly 37 degrees.
Fluctuations in a child's body temperature during the day can be significant: in the evening it is a whole degree higher than in the morning. Finding a child with a slightly elevated temperature in the afternoon, do not worry. For this time of day, this is quite normal.
Fact number 2.
The temperature may rise for reasons unrelated to any disease: when digesting a rich and heavy meal, or at the time of ovulation in teenage girls during their puberty. Sometimes fever is a side effect of medications prescribed by a doctor - antihistamines and others.
Fact number 3.
The temperature to be wary of usually has an obvious cause. In most cases, the rise in temperature, which can be a health hazard, occurs either as a result of poisoning by toxic substances or as a result of overheating (so-called heat stroke).
Classic examples of overheating are a soldier passing out on a parade, or a marathon runner who retires and collapses from exhaustion in the sun. In such cases, the temperature can rise to 41.5 degrees or higher, which is fraught with detrimental consequences for the body. A similar effect can be achieved by overheating excessively in a bath or in a jacuzzi.
If you suspect that a child has ingested a poisonous substance, call a poison control center immediately. When this is not possible, without waiting for trouble, urgently take the child to the hospital and, if possible, grab the packaging from the swallowed agent - this will help you quickly find an antidote.
As a rule, substances swallowed by children are relatively harmless, but timely seeking help is very important.
Immediate treatment is also necessary if the child loses consciousness, even if only briefly, after outdoor games in the heat or after a bath or hot tub. Calling the doctor in this situation is not enough. Take the child to the hospital as soon as possible. External influences are potentially dangerous. They are able to suppress the body's defenses, which under normal conditions do not allow the temperature to rise to a dangerous level. The events that preceded them and the accompanying symptoms help to recognize such conditions. I emphasize: loss of consciousness means that the child is in danger.
Fact number 4.
Body temperature readings depend on how it is measured. Rectal (in the rectum) temperature in children is usually a degree higher than oral (in the mouth), axillary - a degree lower. However, in infants, the difference between the temperature values measured by these methods is not so great, so it is better for them to measure the temperature in the armpit.
I do not advise using a rectal thermometer: with its introduction, perforation of the rectum is possible, and it is fatal in half the cases. Why take a risk when it's not necessary? Finally, don't think that a child's body temperature can be determined by touch by touching the forehead or chest. This will not succeed either for medical professionals or for you.
Fact number 5.
It is not necessary to bring down the body temperature. The only exceptions are newborns suffering from infections, the cause of which is often obstetric interventions in childbirth, intrauterine and hereditary diseases. Acute contagious disease can be the result of some procedures.
For example, an abscess under the scalp can develop in an infant from the sensors of the device during intrauterine observation, and aspiration pneumonia due to amniotic fluid that has entered the lungs as a result of the administration of drugs to the mother during childbirth.
Infection is also possible during the circumcision procedure: hospitals have legions of pathogens (this is just one of the reasons my grandchildren are born at home). If a baby has a high temperature in the first months of life, it is simply necessary to show it to the doctor.
Fact number 6.
The temperature may rise from excessive wrapping. Children are very sensitive to overheating. Parents, especially firstborns, are often unnecessarily concerned about whether their children are cold. They wrap the babies in a lot of clothes and blankets, forgetting that if he gets hot, he will not be able to get rid of warm clothes on his own. If the baby has a fever, do not forget to check if he is dressed too warmly.
If a child with a temperature, especially accompanied by chills, is tightly wrapped in thick blankets, this will provoke even more of her rise. A simple rule that I recommend to the parents of my patients: let the child have as many layers of clothing as they themselves.
Fact number 7.
Most cases of fever are associated with viral and bacterial infections, which the body's defenses cope with without any help. Colds and flu are the most common causes of fever in children of all ages. The temperature can rise to 40.5 degrees, but even in this case there is no cause for concern.
The only danger is the risk of dehydration from the accompanying processes of sweating, rapid pulse and breathing, coughing, vomiting and diarrhea. It can be avoided by giving the child plenty of fluids. It would be nice if the child drank a glass of liquid every hour, preferably nutritious.
It can be fruit juice, lemonade, tea and everything that the child does not refuse. In most cases, viral and bacterial infections are easily recognized by the accompanying fever symptoms: mild cough, runny nose, watery eyes, and so on.
With these diseases, neither the help of a doctor nor any medication is needed. The doctor will not be able to "prescribe" anything more effective than the body's defenses. Medicines that alleviate the general condition only interfere with the action of the vital forces. I will talk about this in more detail in one of the following chapters.
Antibiotics are also not needed: although they can shorten the duration of a bacterial infection, the risk associated with them is very high.
Fact number 8.
There is no unequivocal relationship between the child's body temperature and the severity of the disease. The common misconception about this is unfounded. In addition, there is no consensus on what is considered a "high temperature", neither among parents, nor even among doctors.
The parents of my patients, and I had a lot of them, had diametrically opposed views on this matter. Studies have shown that more than half of the parents surveyed consider a temperature between 37.7 and 38.8 degrees to be “high” and almost all call a temperature of 39.5 degrees “very high”. In addition, all respondents were convinced that a high temperature indicates the severity of the disease.
It's not like that at all. In the most accurate way, by the hour, the measured temperature says absolutely nothing about the severity of the disease if it is caused by a viral or bacterial infection. As soon as you understand that the cause of the temperature is an infection, stop taking the temperature hourly. Tracking its increase in such an illness will not help, moreover, it will only increase your fears and tire the child.
Some common, benign illnesses, like day-to-day measles, sometimes cause very high fevers in children, while others, more serious ones, may not. If there are no additional symptoms such as vomiting or difficulty breathing, remain calm. Even if the temperature rises to 40.5 degrees.
To determine whether a mild illness, like a cold, or a serious one, like meningitis, is caused by a fever, it is important to consider the child's general condition, behavior, and appearance. You will appreciate all these moments much better than a doctor. You know much better how your child usually looks and behaves.
If you experience unusual lethargy, confusion, or other warning symptoms that last a day or two, it makes sense to call your doctor. If the child is active, has not changed his behavior, there is no reason to fear that he is seriously ill.
From time to time, pediatric journals come across articles about "temperature phobia" - about unreasonable parental fear of fever in children. Doctors coined this term on purpose, a typical “blame the victim” tactic for people in my profession: doctors never make mistakes, and if mistakes happen, the patients are to blame. In my opinion, “temperature phobia” is a disease of pediatricians, not parents. And it is doctors who are to blame for the fact that parents become its victims.
Fact number 9.
The temperature caused by a viral or bacterial infection, if left unchecked, will not rise above 41 degrees. Pediatricians do a disservice by prescribing antipyretics. As a result of their prescriptions, the parents' anxiety that the temperature could rise to the extreme limit if no action is taken is reinforced and intensified.
Doctors do not say that bringing down the temperature does not affect the healing process, as well as the fact that human body has a mechanism (not yet fully explained) that does not allow the temperature to overcome the barrier of 41 degrees.
Only with heat stroke, poisoning and other external influences, this natural mechanism may not work. It is in such cases that the temperature rises above 41 degrees. Doctors know this, but most of them pretend not to know. I believe that their behavior is caused by the desire to demonstrate their help to the child.
In addition, there is a common desire among doctors to intervene in any situation and unwillingness to admit that there are conditions that they are not able to treat effectively. Apart from cases of fatal, incurable diseases, what doctor would dare to say to a patient, "I can't do anything"?
Fact number 10.
Measures to lower the temperature, whether it be the use of antipyretics or wiping with water, are not only unnecessary, but also harmful. If a child is infected, then the fever that accompanies the course of the disease should be perceived by parents not as a curse, but as a blessing.
The temperature rises as a result of the spontaneous production of pyrogens - substances that cause fever. It is the body's natural defense against disease. An increase in temperature indicates that the body's healing system has turned on and is working.
The process develops as follows: the child's body reacts to an infectious disease by producing additional white blood cells - leukocytes. They kill bacteria and viruses and cleanse the body of damaged tissues and decay products. At the same time, the activity of leukocytes increases, they quickly move to the source of infection.
This part of the process, the so-called leukotaxis, is precisely stimulated by the production of pyrogens, which increase body temperature. An elevated temperature indicates that the healing process is accelerating. This is not to be feared, it is to be rejoiced.
But that is not all. Iron, which serves as a food source for many bacteria, leaves the blood and accumulates in the liver. This reduces the rate of bacterial reproduction and increases the effectiveness of the interferon produced by the body to fight the disease.
This process has been demonstrated by scientists in laboratory experiments on infected animals. With an artificial increase in temperature, the mortality of experimental animals from infection decreased, and with a decrease, it increased. An artificial increase in body temperature has long been used in cases where the body of patients has lost natural ability this in illness.
If your child's temperature has risen as a result of an infection, resist the urge to bring it down with medication or rubbing. Let the temperature do its thing. Well, if your compassion requires alleviating the patient's condition, give the child paracetamol of the dosage appropriate for age or wipe the body with warm water. This is quite enough. A doctor is needed only when the temperature lasts more than three days, other symptoms appear, or the child becomes very ill.
I emphasize that by lowering the temperature for the sake of relieving the condition of the child, you are interfering with the natural healing process. The only reason that makes me talk about ways to reduce the temperature is the knowledge that some parents are not able to resist it.
If you cannot bring down the temperature, rubbing with water is preferable to taking aspirin and paracetamol because of their danger. Despite their popularity, these remedies are far from harmless. Aspirin poisons perhaps more children each year than any other poison. This is the same form of salicylic acid that is used as the basis of the anticoagulant in rat poisons - rats, eating it, die from internal bleeding.
Aspirin can cause a number of side effects in children and adults. One of them is intestinal bleeding. If children receive this drug while they are sick with the flu or chickenpox, they may also develop Reye's syndrome - common cause infant mortality, mainly due to effects on the brain and liver. This is partly why many doctors switched from aspirin to paracetamol (acetaminophen, panadol, calpol and others).
Taking this remedy is also not a way out. There is evidence that large doses of this drug are toxic to the liver and kidneys. I will also draw your attention to the fact that children whose mothers took aspirin during childbirth often suffer from cephalohematoma - a condition in which fluid-filled bumps appear on the head.
If you still decide to reduce the child's body temperature by rubbing, use only warm water. The decrease in body temperature is achieved by the evaporation of water from the skin and does not depend on the temperature of the water. That is why too cold water has no advantages. Alcohol is also not suitable for wiping: its vapors are toxic for the baby.
Fact number 11.
A high temperature caused by a viral or bacterial infection does not lead to brain damage or other negative consequences. Fear of high temperatures largely stems from the widespread belief that it can lead to permanent damage to the brain or other organs. If this were the case, the parents' panic at rising temperatures would be justified. But, as I said, the statement is false.
For those who know this fear, I advise you to forget about everything that sowed it, and never take for granted the words about such a threat of high temperature, no matter from whom they come - from other parents, the elderly or a doctor friend who gives friendly advice for a cup of coffee. And even if such advice was given by an omniscient grandmother. Unfortunately, she is not always right. Colds, flu, and any other infection will not raise a child's body temperature above 41 degrees, and temperatures below that level will cause no long-term harm.
There is no need to expose yourself to the fear of possible brain damage in a child every time when his temperature rises: the body's defenses will not allow the temperature to rise above 41 degrees. I don't think even pediatricians who have been practicing for decades have seen more than one or two cases of high fever.
The rise in temperature above 41 degrees is not caused by infection, but by poisoning or overheating. I have treated tens of thousands of children and have only once observed a temperature above 41 degrees in my patient. This is not surprising. Studies have shown that in 95 percent of cases of fever in children, it did not rise above 40.5 degrees.
Fact number 12.
High fever does not cause convulsions. They are caused by a sharp rise in temperature. Many parents are afraid of high fever in their children, because they have noticed that it is accompanied by seizures. They believe that the convulsions are caused by a "too high" temperature. I understand such parents well: a child in convulsions is an unbearable sight.
Those who have observed this may find it difficult to believe that, as a rule, this condition is not serious. It's also relatively rare—only 4 percent of children with fever have seizures, and there's no evidence that they leave serious consequences.
A study of 1,706 children who experienced febrile seizures found no cases of motor impairment and no deaths. There is also no convincing evidence that such seizures increase the risk of epilepsy later on.
Moreover, measures to prevent febrile seizures - taking antipyretic drugs and rubbing - are almost always carried out too late and, therefore, in vain: by the time a high temperature is detected in a child, most often, the convulsive threshold has already been passed.
As I said, convulsions do not depend on the level of temperature, but on the speed of its rise to a high mark. If the temperature has risen sharply, convulsions have either already occurred, or their danger has passed, that is, it is almost impossible to prevent them.
Children under the age of five are usually prone to febrile seizures. Children who have experienced such convulsions at this age rarely suffer from them later. Many doctors give children long-term treatment with phenobarbital and other anticonvulsants to prevent recurrence of high fever seizures. If these drugs are prescribed for your child, ask the doctor about the risks associated with them and what changes in the child's behavior they lead to.
In general, there is no consensus among doctors on the issue of long-term treatment of febrile seizures. The drugs that are commonly used in this case cause damage to the liver and even, as shown in animal experiments, have a negative effect on the brain. An authority on the subject once remarked: “Sometimes it is more beneficial for a patient to live a normal life between episodes of convulsions than to live on medication without convulsions, but in a constant state of drowsiness and confusion ...”.
I was taught to prescribe phenobarbital to children with febrile seizures (to prevent their recurrence), and today's medical students are taught the same thing. I began to doubt the correctness of prescribing this remedy when I noticed that convulsions recurred during treatment with it in some patients.
This, of course, made me think: did phenobarbital stop them in the rest of the patients? My suspicions were heightened by complaints from some mothers that the drug overexcited or slowed children down so that, normally active and outgoing, they suddenly turned into half-zombies. Since the convulsions are episodic and do not leave long-term effects, I stopped prescribing this medicine to my little patients.
If a child experiencing febrile seizures is prescribed long-term treatment, parents will have to decide whether to agree to it or not. I understand that openly expressing doubts about doctor's prescriptions is not easy. I also know that the doctor may brush aside questions or not give intelligible answers. If this happens, there is no point in starting an argument. It is necessary to take a prescription from the doctor and, before buying a medicine, ask another doctor for advice.
If your child has a fever-related seizure, try not to panic. Of course, giving advice is much easier than following it. The sight of a child with seizures is truly frightening. Still: Remind yourself that seizures are not life-threatening or permanently damaging for your baby, and take simple steps to ensure your child doesn't get hurt during a seizure.
First of all, turn the child on its side so that it does not choke on saliva. Then make sure that there are no hard and sharp objects near his head that he can get hurt during an attack.
After making sure that your baby's breathing is not obstructed, place a hard but not sharp object between his teeth - such as a clean folded leather glove or wallet (not a finger!) so that he does not accidentally bite his tongue. After that, for your own peace of mind, you can call the doctor and tell them what happened.
Most seizures last a few minutes. If they drag on, ask your doctor for advice over the phone. If, after an attack of convulsions, the child does not fall asleep, it is impossible to give him food and drink for an hour. Due to severe drowsiness, he may choke.
A Quick Guide to Body Temperature
High fever is a common symptom in children that is not associated with serious illness (in the absence of other alarming symptoms, such as unusual appearance and behavior, difficulty breathing and loss of consciousness). It is not an indicator of the severity of the disease.
The temperature that rises as a result of infection does not reach values at which irreversible damage to the child's organs is possible.
Fever does not require medical intervention beyond what is recommended below. The temperature does not need to be brought down. It is the body's natural defense against infection and helps speedy healing.
1. If the body temperature of a child under two months has risen above 37.7 degrees, consult a doctor. This may be a symptom of an infection - intrauterine or associated with interference with the birth process. An elevated temperature in children of this age is so unusual that it is wiser to play it safe and calm down sooner if the alarm turns out to be false.
2. For children older than two months, a doctor is not needed with an increase in temperature, unless the temperature lasts more than three days or is accompanied by serious symptoms - vomiting, shortness of breath, strong cough for several days and others not characteristic of a cold. Check with your doctor if your child is unusually lethargic, irritable, distracted, or looks seriously ill.
3. Seek medical attention, regardless of the thermometer reading, if the child has difficulty breathing, uncontrollable vomiting, if the temperature is accompanied by involuntary muscle twitches or other strange movements, or if something else bothers the child in the behavior and appearance.
4. If the rise in temperature is accompanied by chills, do not try to cope with this feeling of the child with a blanket. This will lead to an even sharper increase in temperature. Chills are not dangerous - this is a normal reaction of the body, a mechanism for adapting to a higher temperature. It does not mean that the child is cold.
5. Try to put a feverish child to bed, but do not overdo it. There is no need to chain the child to the bed and keep him at home unless the weather is too bad. Fresh air and moderate activity will improve your baby's mood without making it worse and make life easier for you. However, too intense loads and sports should not be encouraged.
6. If there is reason to suspect that the cause of the high temperature is not an infection, but other circumstances - overheating or poisoning, take the child to the hospital immediately. If there is no emergency room in your area, use any available medical care.
7. Don't try folk tradition, "to starve out the fever". Nutrition is essential to recovery from any illness. If the child does not resist, "feed" both colds and fevers. Both those and others burn the reserves of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in the body, and they need to be replaced. If your child refuses to eat, give him nutrient fluids such as fruit juice. And do not forget that chicken soup is good for everyone.
High fever and the symptoms that usually accompany it lead to significant fluid loss and dehydration. It can be avoided by giving the child plenty to drink, fruit juice is best, but if he does not want it, any liquid will do, preferably one glass every hour.
From Robert Mendelsohn's How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of the Doctors.
The age of the child and other factors, the fever may be different.
According to the degree of increase in body temperature, subfebrile (from 37 to 38 ° C, moderate (from 38 to 39 ° C), high (from 39 to 41 ° C) and excessive, or hyperpyretic fever (over 41 ° C) are distinguished. Young children, as a rule, they easily tolerate a rise in temperature, which often rises to high numbers even from the most insignificant reasons.For example, a banal ARVI in adults is accompanied by a fever of up to 38-38.5 degrees, and in babies it causes sharp rises in temperature to 39- 40°C.
It should be understood that at too high a body temperature, metabolic processes and the work of organs and systems becomes impossible). At the same time, the absence of fever during the infectious process indicates a decrease in the reactivity of the body (i.e., the lack of the ability to resist infection).
Symptoms
It is not necessary to measure the temperature of healthy children daily. Already by appearance the child and his behavior is almost always easy to suspect an increase in his temperature: the baby's health worsens, anxiety, lethargy, moodiness, decreased appetite or refusal to eat appear. Depending on the type of fever, your baby's skin may be hot and red or pale and cool. Often fever is accompanied by thirst. In young children, high fever is sometimes accompanied by convulsions.
Causes of high temperature
There are many diseases that occur with fever. The most common are viral and bacterial diseases. Moreover, each infection is characterized by its own type of fever. Body temperature may rise with allergic reactions, systemic connective tissue diseases, tumors, as well as endocrine pathology. It should be borne in mind that in children the mechanism of thermoregulation is not fully formed. Therefore, when overheated, the temperature can easily rise. This applies both to excessive wrapping and dressing, and to prolonged exposure to the bright scorching sun.
What can you do
Body temperature up to 37 ° C should not cause you concern. If you have taken your temperature and found it to be subfebrile (below 38°C), you should regularly measure it. Call a doctor at home when the temperature rises above 37.5-38°C. The temperature above 38 °, 5C must be reduced until the doctor arrives. For this, preparations containing paracetamol (panadol for children, Tylenol for children, Tylenol for infants), ibuprofen (nurofen for children) or metamizole sodium (analgin) are suitable for this. They are available in the form of syrups with various flavors, tablets and rectal suppositories. You can easily choose the option that your child will like. It is often necessary to give the patient water, change linen in a timely manner, wipe the skin with wet and dry towels in succession. In case of fever, do not wrap the child, this contributes to greater overheating and fever. The room in which the febrile patient is located should be well ventilated and have a constant supply of fresh air.
Remember that if the temperature is below 38 ° C, if the child feels well, it is not necessary to knock down, because when infectious diseases temperature reactions are protective and adaptive in nature. However, you should consult a doctor if the low-grade fever persists for several days.
Never give your child drugs containing acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin). Do not give your child any antibiotics without a doctor's prescription.
If you notice convulsions in your child, proceed as follows: try to lay the baby on a soft bed or carpet so that he cannot hit his head or other parts of the body, turn his head to his side (prevention of tongue retraction, in which the child may suffocate) and immediately call an ambulance. If your child has already experienced convulsions during a fever, even a temperature of 37.5 ° C should be reduced.
What can a doctor do
After a detailed questioning and examination, the doctor will either immediately prescribe therapy or refer the child for additional examinations. Depending on the cause of the fever, the treatment will be fundamentally different, so you should not self-medicate or wait until the temperature subsides on its own.
accompanied by an increase in temperature. In turn, this causes panic among parents. Especially if the child is still very young. The temperature can rise even in case of weather changes, fatigue or stress. Before giving him antipyretic drugs or using other methods of knocking down degrees, it is necessary to determine the cause of the fever. In some cases, you need to immediately call a doctor.
What is the normal temperature for a child
In adults, a body temperature of 36.6 ° C is considered the norm. In contrast to them, in children, the normal temperature ranges from 36-37 ° C. Infants have an increased temperature by an average of 0.3-0.4 ° C. During the first three months of life, the baby's body temperature depends on the external environment, on the baby's sleep. Daily fluctuation within 0.6°C is considered optimal. For older children, the run should not exceed 1 ° C during the day. Up to 5 years, the child may have a temperature up to 37 ° C. In the absence of cough and runny nose, this is not considered a deviation from the norm. Measure it in the morning after the child woke up, lay down a little in bed. Most likely everything will be fine.
Temperature measurement is carried out using thermometers. They are mercury, electronic and infrared.
Mercury thermometers are more accurate. The measurement error is 0.1 degree. The measurement is made in the armpit for 7 minutes or the rectum for 5 minutes. This thermometer is dangerous because it contains mercury and can be broken or crushed.
Electronic are easy to use. Temperature is measured in the mouth, armpit, or rectum. After 3 minutes, the thermometer will show the result. After the measurement, a beep sounds. For babies, electronic thermometers in the form of a pacifier are sold. After 4 minutes, such a thermometer will show the baby's body temperature. The error of such a thermometer is much greater than that of a mercury one: up to 1 degree.
The infrared thermometer is non-contact and ear. An ear thermometer is easy to measure temperature. Measurement time 5 seconds. But it has a rather high price. Non-contact shows the temperature when you bring it to the skin. They do not have high accuracy. It makes it easy to control temperature fluctuations.
Causes of high fever in a child
In the human brain there is a center responsible for thermoregulation. When it is irritated, heat transfer decreases. An increase in temperature is a protective reaction of the body.
During infections, bacteria enter the body, which multiply and release toxic substances. Blood cells - white blood cells - fight off harmful bacteria. With a jump in temperature to 39.5 ° C, the reproduction of microorganisms slows down. With increased reproduction of the virus, the child has a high temperature.
If there is no infection in the body, then the causes of fever may be immune reactions. For example: injuries, burns, allergic diseases, psychological disorders.
Children easily overheat in hot weather, which can cause a fever. In infants, overheating often occurs due to wrapping up when going to bed. When overheated, the baby becomes moody or becomes lethargic. In hot weather, the child should be moved to the shade. Undress and give more to drink. Wipe with water. Within an hour, the temperature should decrease without the use of drugs.
The cause of the fever may be. At the same time, the thermometer readings do not exceed 38 ° C. The child drags everything into his mouth, the gums become inflamed. In 1-3 days after the appearance of the tooth, the temperature subsides.
In infants, it is difficult for parents to examine his throat. He himself cannot explain what is troubling him. Therefore, fever without pronounced symptoms can be observed in several diseases.
Is it possible to bring down the temperature of a child
With a fever, the body's defenses are activated. Accelerates the process of tissue repair. At temperatures above 37 ° C, the body fights the infection and it is not worth knocking it down. Heat means good. At the same time, interferon is produced in the body. It kills microbes. On the second or third day of illness, the amount of interferon in the blood is maximum. If even with a slight heat, the parents gave the child an antipyretic, then the disease lasts longer. Recovery occurs somewhere on the seventh day.
Children's bodies are different. In some cases, babies do not tolerate even a slight increase in temperature. If the child plays calmly at a high temperature, then you should not worry too much. If there is a change in the behavior of the baby, when he experiences discomfort with a fever, is naughty, you should consult a doctor. Some children may experience seizures. With a disease of the heart, kidneys, lungs, fever can provoke a deterioration in the functioning of these organs. In this case, do not follow general recommendations and listen to the doctor's advice.
What temperature to bring down in a child
For some parents, it is enough to touch the baby's forehead with their lips to understand that the child has a fever. A slight fever does not mean a mild cold. With inflammation of the lungs, the temperature may not exceed 38 ° C, and with SARS it can rise to 40 ° C. In any case, it is worth calling a doctor to clarify the diagnosis. If the thermometer is more than 38.5 ° C, start bringing down the heat without waiting for the doctor. In infants up to three months, the temperature is brought down to 38 ° C.
Do not wrap your child. It must have heat dissipation. The room should not be too hot. It is better to ventilate the room. The child should be given plenty of fluids to avoid blood clotting and sweating.
Dry mouth, refusal to eat, excessive crying mean that an antipyretic should be given.
How to bring down the temperature in a child
When a child has a fever, the baby needs to make up for the loss of fluid. Pathogenic microbes come out with urine. Warm water should be given every half hour for half a glass. If the baby refuses to drink water, then it can be replaced with rosehip broth, cranberry juice.
- Give your child raspberry tea. It has an antipyretic effect.
- Wear light clothing. If there is a chill, then cover with a thin blanket. You should change your baby's clothes in time if he sweats.
- Reduce batteries to cool the air. In this case, excess heat during inhalation will be spent on warming the air.
- Give the child medication or use folk methods.
Temperature medications for children
To bring down the temperature, doctors advise using suppositories, suspensions or tablets. The choice of drug depends on the age of the baby. The smallest are assigned candles. They are convenient to use. From the age of 3 months, candles "Cefekon" or "Efferalgan" are used. Older children are recommended to use suspensions. They have a sweet taste. The most effective are Ibufen, Panadol, Paracetamol and Efferalgan. Before buying at a pharmacy, be sure to tell the age of the baby.
It should be remembered that before the child reaches the age of 12, the use of acetylsalicylic acid is contraindicated. When used before this age, the development of Reye's syndrome may be triggered. This results in damage to the liver and brain.
Antipyretic give 2-3 times a day and no more than 3 days in a row. Before taking the medicine, you should read the instructions. Familiarize yourself with the ingredients and side effects. You can not use several drugs at the same time.
With the development of fever with spasm of skin vessels (pale, cold hands and feet, marbling of the skin), after taking an antipyretic, it is necessary to rub the skin until it turns red and call a doctor urgently.
Bring down the temperature in a child with folk remedies
When the effect of the antipyretic has not yet come, other methods should be used to bring down the heat. In this case, wiping helps a lot. It should be remembered that wiping is contraindicated for children under one year old.
When using vodka, it is diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 1. Wipe the baby's skin with a cloth soaked in the solution. Particular attention should be paid to the armpits, feet, palms and the back of the knees.
Wiping with vinegar also helps to reduce the heat of the crumbs. The vinegar water should taste slightly sour. Do not use vinegar essence to prepare a solution.
With pale skin, cold extremities, wiping will only worsen the situation.
The last resort at very high temperatures is the use of a lytic mixture. In this case, an intramuscular injection is given. The composition of the mixture includes "Analgin", "Dimedrol" and "Papaverine" in proportions of 1: 1: 1.
A cleansing enema of 1 teaspoon of soda diluted in a glass of water can reduce intoxication at high temperatures: six-month-old babies are injected with up to 50 ml of soda solution, after six months to one and a half years - up to 100 ml, after 2 years - up to 200 ml.
In no case should you use steam inhalation, hot compresses. This will only increase the temperature.
If the temperature does not go astray in any way, immediately call an ambulance.
At the same time, the role of elevated body temperature in various diseases is far from unambiguous and in various cases requires a differentiated approach in determining treatment tactics. The study of the significance of elevated body temperature in various diseases back in the 19th century. Sergei Petrovich Botkin was involved, who believed that in most cases a decrease in body temperature does not eliminate the changes in the body characteristic of the disease, and proposed to consider elevated body temperature as an adaptive reaction. Subsequently, the observations of S. P. Botkin were confirmed.
Along with an increase in body temperature against the background of an inflammatory disease (fever), other types of increases in body temperature are possible. The causes of such increases may be overheating, as well as individual characteristics regulation of body temperature.
What body temperature is normal for a child?
As you know, the normal body temperature of a healthy child is 36-37 ° C. However, it has been established that each organ has its own temperature. The temperature of the liver is the highest, the temperature of other internal organs. The skin temperature is highest in the axillary areas - 36.0-36.8 °C. Approximately half of the children have asymmetry of axillary temperature, while most often the body temperature on the left is slightly higher (by 0.1-0.5 ° C) than on the right.
The temperature of the skin of the neck is slightly lower (34 ° C). It is useful to know about this, since sometimes parents are guided by body temperature measured in the skin fold of the neck. The temperature of the skin of the hands and feet is especially low - 24-28 °C. Since, along with the measurement of temperature in the axillary areas, adopted in our country, the determination of temperature in the mouth (under the tongue) and also in the rectum in children is quite widely used, it is important to know that the temperature in the oral cavity is 0.1 - 0.4 °C, and in the rectum - by 0.5-1.0 °C.
Body temperature depends on age. In premature babies, due to their inherent characteristics (low metabolic activity, low weight with a relatively large body surface, thinned subcutaneous fat layer, imperfect thermoregulation), body temperature largely depends on the ambient temperature.
Body temperature in young children is on average 0.3-0.4 ° C higher than in adults, and to a greater extent than in adults, it is subject to fluctuations.
The body temperature of a child depends on many factors. Daily fluctuations in body temperature are well known: the lowest body temperature in children usually occurs at 4-5 o'clock in the morning, the highest - at 16-17 o'clock. The daily amplitude of fluctuations in body temperature in a nine-month-old child is about 0.9, in children 2-5 years old - 0.6-1.0 °C. In children older than 5 years at rest, body temperature ranges from 0.3-0.5 ° C.
During intense muscle activity (during outdoor games, during physical education, as well as with prolonged screaming, crying), your child's body temperature may increase by 1-2 degrees (up to 38 ° C). The body temperature of the child rises after eating, and the increase depends on the composition of the food eaten (maximum after meat products).
Sometimes parents find that their seemingly perfectly healthy child has a body temperature that is outside of the "normal" range. It turns out that approximately 5% of children have features in the regulation of body temperature. Their normal body temperature can be 0.5 ° C higher or lower than usual. This does not require correction if the child feels well. The body temperature of a well-fed child with high excitability, constantly in motion, is always several tenths of a degree higher than that of an apathetic child who prefers quiet activities to noisy games - reading books, drawing, etc.
Thus, it is not bad if you know exactly what body temperature is the individual norm for your child. However, do not abuse the measurement of body temperature in a healthy child who does not have any signs of illness. No need to create problems for yourself, because you will not always be able to explain the normal fluctuations in the temperature of the child's body. Endless temperature measurements will neuroticize you and create the preconditions for overprotection of the child.
A slightly elevated body temperature may be normal for your child, but is always a reason to see a doctor and get tested, as even a slightly elevated body temperature can be the main manifestation of a mild illness (such as a urinary tract infection). If your child's body temperature exceeds 38 ° C, then regardless of what he did before, this is a manifestation of the disease.
In what case and how to measure body temperature correctly?
The reason for measuring the temperature is a violation of the child's well-being. The behavior of the child changes: there is an increased physical activity, the baby becomes capricious, irritable, sleep is disturbed. There is a feverish gleam in the eyes, the face is "flaming", the skin is hot to the touch. In other cases, on the contrary, the child becomes lethargic, apathetic, refuses to eat, the skin becomes pale with “marbling”, limbs are cold to the touch, the skin is covered with goosebumps, there is cold sweat on the forehead, the child is shivering.
Some mothers use the old folk way: put their lips on the forehead of the child. The method, of course, has been tested, but, firstly, it is extremely subjective and, secondly, it is not indicative if the child has chills. It is possible to more correctly determine body temperature approximately, focusing on an increase in heart rate.
But still it is preferable to use thermometry when assessing the temperature of a child's body. It is advisable to measure the child's body temperature between meals after more than one hour after physical activity, and it is desirable that the measurement of body temperature is not accompanied by screaming, resistance and tears. The generally accepted method in Russia (in Russia) is the measurement of body temperature in the armpit using a mercury or electronic thermometer.
Body temperature is usually measured in the left armpit. The thermometer should not be cold - otherwise the procedure will cause a negative reaction of the child. Therefore, before measuring, it is advisable to hold the thermometer in the palm of your hand for 3-5 minutes. Before placing a mercury thermometer, shake it so that the mercury column drops below 36 ° C. It is better to shake the thermometer over a bed or sofa, so that if it accidentally breaks out of your hand, it will not break - mercury vapor is toxic, and it is quite difficult to completely collect mercury from the floor.
The child holds the thermometer in the armpit for 5-7 minutes. In the first 2 minutes, the mercury column rises quickly, and then the rise is fractions of a degree, which are not of fundamental importance. Therefore, if a child, when measuring body temperature, is worried, breaks out, then for an approximate assessment of body temperature, it is enough to hold the thermometer for 2 minutes. If you are unable to teach your child to measure body temperature with a conventional thermometer, you will have to purchase an electronic thermometer, which takes about 1-2 minutes to measure temperature.
In some cases, the temperature is measured in the rectum (the norm is up to 38 ° C). To do this, the tip of the thermometer is lubricated with petroleum jelly or glycerin. The child is laid on his stomach on the knees of one of the parents (children of school age are laid on their side with their knees pulled up to the stomach). The thermometer is inserted into the anus to a depth of 2 cm, holding in this position for one minute. Approximately body temperature can be estimated after 20 seconds.
Usually, when a child is ill, body temperature is measured 2 times a day - in the morning and at 16-17 hours. But in the acute period of the disease, when high rises in body temperature are possible, it is advisable to measure it every 3-4 hours. Control of body temperature is usually continued until it normalizes.
Why does body temperature rise?
The mechanism of increasing body temperature, in principle, is universal. It is based on irritation of the body temperature regulation centers located in the brain, leading to an increase in body heat production and a decrease in heat transfer.
In infectious diseases, an increase in body temperature is associated with the effect on the body of metabolic products and the decay of viruses, microbes, and certain drugs. The duration of the febrile period usually coincides with the period of intensive reproduction of the pathogen in the body.
Complexes that irritate the center of body temperature regulation can be formed not only during infectious diseases, but also during immune reactions, during tissue destruction in case of injury, with the retention of toxins and products of impaired metabolism, and can be produced by tumor cells. And in these cases, elevated body temperature reflects the activity of the disease process.
Elevated body temperature - friend or foe?
When a child's body temperature rises, parents, as a rule, try to lower it as soon as possible. Is it correct? With an increase in body temperature in the body, a change occurs in the ratio of heat production processes and heat transfer processes. Heat transfer is set at a new level, adequate to the nature of the disease. At the same time, an increase in the activity of the protective properties of the body is noted, blood flow increases, tissue repair processes are accelerated. In addition, an increase in body temperature above 37 ° C creates unfavourable conditions for the reproduction of viruses and bacteria. Thus, an increase in body temperature (up to 38 ° C) helps the body fight infection, and it is not advisable to lower such body temperature.
However, an increase in body temperature imposes additional requirements on the body. Increases energy metabolism, and increases energy consumption, increases the excitability of the central nervous system. The activity of the internal organs changes: the heart rate and breathing rate increase, the production of digestive juices decreases, and intestinal peristalsis increases.
An increase in body temperature during a disease occurs stereotypically, regardless of whether it benefits the body or not. In certain situations, an increase in body temperature can have undesirable consequences. So, if your child has previously had convulsions, then with an increase in body temperature, they may recur. If your child has a severe heart disease (such as congenital heart disease), lung disease, or kidney disease, the extra stress of high body temperature can cause these organs to deteriorate dramatically. Therefore, in some children it is necessary to achieve the normalization of any, even a small, increase in body temperature. Parents of each child with some peculiarities should discuss with the doctor in advance what they should do if the child's body temperature rises.
Another thing is when a child develops hyperthermia, i.e., an increase in body temperature above 39 ° C. This is accompanied by catastrophic disturbances in the vital activity of the organism. Protein denaturation occurs, the activity of many enzyme systems is disrupted, changes occur in the blood coagulation system, blood flow is disturbed, the immune system suffers, and severe disorders of the central nervous system develop. Roughly - the activity of internal organs is disturbed. Of course, these changes are not adaptive in nature. In such cases, body temperature should be actively lowered.
How can high body temperature be reduced?
The degree of increase in body temperature does not always correspond to the severity of the disease. So, in acute respiratory viral infection body temperature can rise to 40 ° C, but the child feels good at the same time. And with inflammation of the lungs, especially in a weakened child, the body temperature may not exceed 38 ° C. With any increase in body temperature in a child, a doctor should be called, since the tactics for lowering body temperature may be different.
However, if the child's body temperature exceeds 38 ° C, you should try to lower it even before the doctor arrives. If a child has a cold, he has a fever, parents, trying to help, often put the child to bed and cover him with a pile of blankets. In such a situation, on the contrary, it is necessary to create conditions for improving heat transfer. At the same time, in a warm room (20-21 ° C), the child is undressed and left to lie open for 10-15 minutes, and even better - while directing the air flow from the fan onto him. Place a tissue on the child's forehead cool water, and change frequently.
A more intense effect is rubdown. The arms, legs and torso of the child are wiped with warm (30-31 ° C) water and left open or covered with a thin diaper or sheet. Rubbing the skin improves blood flow, and when moisture evaporates, the body temperature decreases by 1-1.5 ° C, to a level that is safe for the child's body.
As possible option vodka-vinegar rubdown is used when a mixture is used to rub a child (1 tablespoon of vodka, 1 tablespoon of table vinegar and 1 tablespoon of water). In order for the mixture to be warm, it is advisable to dilute it in a preheated plate. Vodka and vinegar quickly evaporate from the child's body, which leads to a decrease in body temperature. Negative side This method is the appearance of a sharp irritating odor, poorly tolerated by children. The decrease in body temperature after an air bath or wiping the child is short. After 1-1.5 hours, the procedure can be repeated.
Completely different should act in a situation where the child has chills. As a rule, the child's skin is pale, covered with "goosebumps", the child has cold hands and feet. In this case, the decrease in body temperature should begin with warming the child in order to eliminate spasm of skin vessels. Without this, it is impossible to increase heat transfer. The child is placed in a warm bed, a heating pad is applied to the legs. And only after the child's skin warms up, turns pink and the chills stop, you can start cooling procedures.
Physical cooling methods are combined with medicinal ones. Depending on the nature of the disease, various means are used to lower body temperature: anti-inflammatory, sedative, vasodilator drugs. The choice of adequate treatment is made by the doctor, but you will not harm the child if you give an antipyretic before the doctor's examination. The choice of such funds is quite large, but the smallest side effects(irritation of the stomach, bleeding) have paracetamol and its commercial analogues (panadol, calpol, efferalgan, etc.). Due to the possible effect on the liver and blood in children, the use of aspirin is undesirable. Some plants have antipyretic properties: birch, lingonberry, cornflower, cranberry, linden, raspberry, chamomile, succession, coltsfoot. A decrease in temperature is usually accompanied by profuse sweating, weakness, and often the child falls asleep.
What is baby overheating?
Apparently, everyone has seen how, on a hot summer day, parents take their children out for a walk dressed "not for the weather" - in warm jackets, hats Often have to see children younger age under the scorching sun on the beach. In both cases, the health of the child is in serious danger. Overheating is not so rare, especially in young children, in whom, with high heat production, the mechanisms of heat transfer are imperfect - the subcutaneous fat layer is more pronounced, and sweating, compared with older children, is weakened.
Overheating - an increase in body temperature due to prolonged exposure to high environmental temperatures. Overheating is much more difficult to tolerate than a similar increase in body temperature during illness, and leads to the most grave consequences up to death. An increase in body temperature during overheating indicates that the body has exhausted its compensatory capabilities to increase heat transfer. Overheating is accompanied by serious changes in metabolism, inhibition of enzyme systems, disruption of the activity of many organs and systems. The activity of the brain is disturbed: appear headache, vomiting, agitation, followed by clouding of consciousness, convulsions. Breathing, activity of the heart, kidneys is disturbed elevated temperature bodies when overheated cannot be lowered with the help of conventional antipyretics. If a child has overheating - this is very serious! It is necessary to call the "emergency" team, and before examining the child by a doctor, carry out cooling procedures. Treatment of such children is carried out in the intensive care unit.