A fever is when your child’s body temperature is higher than it should be. Having a temperature above 38°C is not good for your body. There are a lot of things that parents don’t like about their kids getting sick.
If you’re a new parent or not, you are expecting the growth of your child. It’s never easy to watch your kids get hurt. Sometimes, you don’t know what to do when they have a fever.
There are a lot of things to think about before you call your child’s pediatrician, go to an urgent care center, or go to the emergency room, no matter what the thermometer says. It all comes down to how old your child is, how sick they are, and how high their body temperature is.
When you know why fevers happen and what to look for, you’ll be better able to deal with the next one.
When Should You Seek Help?
It is more dangerous for a young child to have a high fever than for an adult. People always wonder when you should call your child’s doctor. Here are age ranges and body temperatures that might help you to get an idea.
- Children who are 0 to 3 months old have a temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or more.
- Children between the ages of 3 and 6 months: Their temperature is above 102°F (39°C) and they’re either irritable or sleepy.
- Children of age 6 to 24 months: Above 102°F (39°C) temperature lasts more than a day with a rash, cough, or diarrhea may be signs that they need to see a doctor.
If your child has a fever that keeps going up above 104°F (40°C), call their doctor. if your child has a fever and:
- They are very lethargic and irritable, or they have other very bad symptoms.
- The fever doesn’t go away in three days.
- The fever doesn’t respond to taking medicine.
- They don’t keep their eyes on you.
- It’s not possible for them to keep fluids down.
Home Remedies To Get Rid Of High Fever In Children
Some of the things you can do to help with the symptoms of fever such as:
1- Give Them More Fluids
As the body heats up because of viral fever, your children feel very uncomfortable. These things make the body try to cool down by making your child sweat. Even though this can cause your child to lose a lot of water, which can make him thirsty.
Parents whose children are sick with a virus should give them to drink as much as they can to get back the fluids that they have lost. It doesn’t have to be just water. Hydration can come from any of the following:
- juice is a tastable drink.
- Broths and soups
- Tea with no caffeine
Pedialyte is a drink made for babies and toddlers that has electrolytes in it. You can buy these drinks at a grocery store near you or online. You can also make your own electrolyte drink at home, but this isn’t the only way.
2- Give More Rest
When your child gets a viral fever, it means that his body is working hard to fight off sickness. Let him rest as much as he can. The best thing is that even if he can’t stay in bed all day, he shouldn’t play outside. Let him sleep for eight to nine hours of sleep a night by using different sleep positions. During the day, make him slow down.
It’s also a good idea to stop his physical activities for a while. His temperature can rise even more if he does a lot of work.
3- Give Him Over A Counter Medication
It’s the easiest way to deal with your child’s fever to buy over-the-counter (OTC) medicines to help him feel better. Temporarily, these medicines will help your child feel a little better and more like yourself.
Even if he feels better for a few hours after taking an over-the-counter drug, make sure he gets enough sleep.
Make sure you know these safety rules before you use over-the-counter fever reducers. They can make your kid sicker.
Aspirin should not be given to children. This is a bad idea. Make sure you don’t give any medicine without asking your doctor. As it can cause gastrointestinal issues. such as stomach bleeding, liver damage, or kidney problems in your child.
Note down when you give an over-the-counter medicine so you can make sure you don’t give too much in a day.
4- Use Herbal Remedies
When your child has a fever, you may try to use herbal remedies to help your child get better like
- Moringa– Moringa is a plant that grows in tropical areas. It has a lot of food and medicine benefits. Most of the plant’s parts have vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and antibacterial agents in them.
- Kudzu Root-A traditional Chinese medicine herb called kudzu root is made from the root of this plant. It has anti-inflammatory properties and may be able to help with the pain.
5- Help Your Kid To Stay Cool
Here are a few suggestions that will help your kid to stay cool such as
- When your kid has a fever, make him sit in a bath of lukewarm water. This will make him feel better. (Cold water will make your child’s body warm up, not cool down.)
- Give him a sponge bath with water that isn’t too hot.
- The best thing to do is to help them to wear pyjamas or clothes that are light enough.
- You should not try to use too many extra blankets when your kid has a cold.
- Make sure your child drinks a lot of water that is cool or at room temperature.
- The best thing to do is give him popsicles!
- Use a fan to keep the air moving.
Things You Should Consider
Most of the time, viral fever isn’t anything to worry about. Most viruses in both children and adults go away on their own and are part of the body’s healing process. But if you have unusual symptoms, or if the fever doesn’t go away after a few days, it’s best to go to the doctor.