When we say a person has fever, we mean that their body temperature is higher than the normal range. Fever in a baby’s body is not the illness itself.It is rather a symptom that the baby’s body is fight an illness. If a baby has fever, it often means that the baby has cold or a viral infection. However, the baby can also have fever because of urinary tract infection (UTI) or pneumonia etc. If your infant has prolonged fever it is best to take them to a doctor for proper diagnosis.
Unlike adults, a baby’s body is unable to regulate its body temperature properly. There are many causes that can induce a fever in a baby’s body:
1. Colds
2. Ear infections
3. Pneumonia
4. Overheat: Wearing too many warm clothes
5. Exertion: Playing for too long
6. Reaction to a vaccination
Each baby may react differently to having a fever. The parent may notice one or more of the following changes in the body and behavior of the baby:
1. The baby may get cranky or irritated
2. The baby will have trouble sleeping. This may be due to body aches.
3. The baby will lose interest in playing or games
4. The baby will become lethargic
5. Rashes on the body of the baby is also a common occurrence if the baby has fever
6. The baby may have seizure called febrile seizures. In such instances, the baby's eyes may roll back and they may become unresponsive. If you see this occurrence in your baby, it is best to see a doctor immediately.
There are many ways to check the temperature of a baby. One can check the temperature of a baby rectally, orally, from the ear or from the armpit.One should avoid using mercury thermometer for babies as they always have the risk of breaking and causing mercury poisoning. One should take care of the following things when checking their baby’s temperature:
1. Wash the thermometer with soap and water or wipe it clean with rubbing alcohol.
2. Lay your baby in a comfortable position.
3. Apply a bit of petroleum jelly at the tip of the thermometer for lubrication.
4. Gently insert the thermometer in the rectal opening to take the temperature.
You can also put the thermometer in the armpit of the baby to take the temperature. You should ideally avoid taking the temperature orally.
1. Bathe your baby in lukewarm water: Bathing the baby in lukewarm water can provide a cooling effect to the body and lower the temperature. Lukewarm water feels cold on the body that has fever and provides an effect similar to cold water on normal body. Make sure you test the temperature of the water on your wrist before using it to give your baby a bath.
2. Prevent overheating: If your baby is wearing too many clothes, consider removing some so that the baby is dressed lightly.
3. Keep your house and your baby’s surrounding cool. This can also prevent overheating.
4. Give enough fluids: Make sure that your baby is dehydrated. You can feed it breast milk, water, or electrolyte solution to keep its body hydrated. You can buy the electrolyte solution online from 3MEDS, the best online chemist shop in Delhi.
5. You can consult a doctor on whether a medicine is required and which one should be given. You can easily buy medicines and other medical essentials from 3MEDS, the best medicine app in Delhi.
6. Do not use ice or rubbing alcohol to lower the temperature of the baby.
Treating a baby’s fever depends on many factors. An infant may require immediate medical help. However a baby older than that may recover with the above mentioned remedies. Either way, one must stay alert to other changes in the body of the baby like cold, flu, increased irritation etc. because fever is a symptom of an illness and not the illness itself. One should always consult a doctor before giving any medicine to a baby and should never give an adult’s medicine to the baby.
