What is fever?
Fever is a natural phenomenon of the body in response to a virus or infection.
We speak of fever when:
- For an infant under 3 months of age, the internal temperature exceeds 38°C
- For an older child, the internal temperature exceeds 38.5°C
Fever itself is therefore not dangerous, except for infants and as long as it does not exceed high values (~ 41°C).
So trying to lower it is not necessarily the best way to help a child heal.
Here are 5 mistakes to avoid when baby has a fever:
1. Give medication too quickly
Generally, it is not necessary to consider taking medication if the fever is well tolerated by the child. Treatment is therefore not systematic.
On the other hand, if the child is suffering, it is important to give only one type of fever medication, respecting the doses and intervals between doses.
If this is not enough to lower your temperature and the fever persists beyond 72 hours, it is essential to consult your doctor.
2. Not hydrating your child enough
It is very important to give him fresh water regularly.
Remember to offer him a lot of drinks even if he doesn’t ask you to. A tip to remember, especially if your child is too small to ask for a drink. A vital gesture to avoid dehydration.
3. The temperature of the room is too high
It is important that the ambient temperature remains stable and within the range of 18-20°C.
The air should not be too humid or too dry. Remember to ventilate the room well and if necessary, use a humidifier.
4. Overcovering baby
In case of fever, do not overcover your child. Removing layers of clothing from her allows heat to escape and lower her body temperature.
But don’t undress him completely because he could catch cold and start shivering.
5. Bathing your child in warm water
Very important: bathing your child in too fresh water (+2°C below the child’s temperature) does not significantly lower his temperature
On the contrary, it may increase his discomfort and discomfort. Similarly, ice bags are not recommended.
Be careful also, the bath can increase the risk of seizures in children.
Watch for fever with Tucky!
Whether it is a mild fever or a high-risk infection, temperature monitoring remains essential.
Faced with the discomfort of conventional thermometers (digital, ear thermometers, etc…) there are new patch thermometers allowing continuous and remote monitoring of the temperature.
This is the case with Tucky. Once placed under the armpit, it measures the temperature evolution and allows parents to follow the febrile episode on their phone, from a distance.
If you want to know more about Tucky, find out more here!
Learn more about:
Fever in children
How to take the temperature
The Tucky patch thermometer