At what temperature should you be concerned? And should we act differently depending on the age of the child?
How does fever manifest in babies?
When a baby has feveryou feel that body temperature is higher than usual, and your thermometer confirms it. He may be grumpier than usual, sweat, sleep more or less, eat little, have shiny eyes, or breathe more quickly. Your baby seems different to you.
Fever is sometimes accompanied by other symptoms, which should prompt you to consult a doctor very quickly, such as vomiting repeated, signs of dehydrationa change in behavior, unusual drowsiness, pale complexion, bluish skin or redness, convulsions, or even breathing problems.
You can take your child’s temperature by axillary route (under the arm, remember to add around 0.6°C to the result), by ear canal (through the ear), or through frontal way (on the forehead) without contact, depending on the thermometer you have at your disposal. Rectal temperature measurement, although more accurate, should be avoided because it is difficult to perform and intrusive.
Also know that the vaccination can cause a fever in the days that follow, without this being a cause for concern.
At what temperature should you be concerned?
A child is considered to have a fever above 38.5°C. So should we be worried? “What should concern parents is not only the height of the fever, but the tolerance of the child with fever. Some babies are fine with it 40°C feverwhile others feel worse at 38.5°C, the height of the temperature does not predict severity.” explains Dr Sylvie Dieu Osika, pediatrician in Rosny-sous-Bois, and co-author of theABCs of Baby’s First Year (Hatier, 2022).
“We must also pay attention to the duration of fever, in a baby less than a month old this is generally very serious so you must immediately consult or go to the emergency room. In a baby under 3 months, we worry in the hours following the onset of fever. At less than 6 months, we can wait a little longer depending on the child’s tolerance, and beyond 6 months we can consult within 24 to 48 hours.” she adds.
Are the criteria for concern the same in older children? “In older children, we can wait longer, up to 4-5 days after the onset of the fever, if the child tolerates it well.. It also depends on other associated symptoms.
What should you do if your baby has a fever?
If your baby has a fever, you should not cover him too much. By removing one or two layers of clothing, this may allow the body temperature to drop slightly. You can also ventilate the room so that the ambient temperature is between 18 and 20 degrees, overheating should be avoided. Your child must not be naked either, he must keep at least one layer of clothing.
Do not hesitate to make him drink regularly so that he stays hydrated, you can give him a breastfeed, a bottle, or if he is a little older, water. Contrary to popular belief, do not give him a cool bath to lower his temperature, this could cause him to convulse. However, you can pass a wet glove on his body, particularly in the groin and joints.
Should the child be given medication to reduce his fever? This is not necessary if his temperature is 38.5°C and he tolerates it well. However, if your baby does not cope well with feverif it is above 38.5°C, or if it has been going on for two days, you can give it some paracetamolrespecting the dose-weight, and the six hours minimum time between two doses.
Remember that if your infant is less than three months old, you should not give him paracetamol but consult the emergency room immediately. Likewise, if your child has a fever of more than 40°C, if his condition seems worrying to you, if he has headaches and vomiting, is dehydrated, has diarrhea or has difficulty breathing, take him to the EMERGENCIES whatever his age.
If your child has a chronic illness, or has febrile seizures, consult a doctor during the day. If you have any doubts about what to do, call 15 to be redirected.
Sources:
Health Insurance, Qare, Pharmacist GipharDr Sylvie Dieu Osika, pediatrician
Read also :
⋙ Baby fever: how to reduce it and when to go to the emergency room? Advice from a pediatrician
⋙ Fever in babies: how to reduce it? Good reflexes to adopt
⋙ Childhood fever: 6 questions that all parents ask themselves