Your child's temperature can also be raised after vaccinations, or if they overheat because of too much bedding or clothing. Complete this guide to assess fever symptoms in babies and children under 2 years of age. Return to Symptoms. Next Review Date:.
If your child has a fever, it's important to keep them hydrated by giving them plenty of cool water to drink. Babies should be given plenty of liquids, such as breast milk or formula. Even if your child isn't thirsty, try to get them to drink little and often to keep their fluid levels up.
If the environment is warm, you could help to your child to stay at a comfortable temperature by covering them with a lightweight sheet or opening a window.
However, they should still be appropriately dressed for their surroundings and sponging your child with cool water isn't recommended to reduce a fever. Children's paracetamol or ibuprofen work as antipyretics, which help to reduce fever, as well as being painkillers.
You can't give them both at the same time, but if one doesn't work, you may want to try the other later. Antipyretics aren't always necessary. If your child isn't distressed by the fever or underlying illness, there's no need to use antipyretics to reduce a fever.
When using antipyretics, always read the patient information leaflet that comes with the medication to find the correct dose and frequency for your child's age. Sometimes a high temperature in children is associated with more serious signs and symptoms, such as:. Temperature varies a little depending on how you measure it. For children up to 11 years old, here are the ranges for high, moderate, and mild according to how you took the temperature.
Oral by mouth temperature. A forehead temporal scanner is usually 0. Armpit axillary temperature. Note: For children under 5 years old, rectal temperatures are the most accurate. Certain health conditions and medicines weaken the immune system's ability to fight off infection and illness.
Some examples in children are:. A baby that is sick but not extremely sick :. Symptoms of difficulty breathing can range from mild to severe.
Symptoms of difficulty breathing in a baby or young child can range from mild to severe. Sudden drooling and trouble swallowing can be signs of a serious problem called epiglottitis. This problem can happen at any age. The epiglottis is a flap of tissue at the back of the throat that you can't see when you look in the mouth.
When you swallow, it closes to keep food and fluids out of the tube trachea that leads to the lungs. If the epiglottis becomes inflamed or infected, it can swell and quickly block the airway. This makes it very hard to breathe. The symptoms start suddenly. A person with epiglottitis is likely to seem very sick, have a fever, drool, and have trouble breathing, swallowing, and making sounds. In the case of a child, you may notice the child trying to sit up and lean forward with his or her jaw forward, because it's easier to breathe in this position.
If you're not sure if a child's fever is high, moderate, or mild, think about these issues:. You can use a small rubber bulb called an aspirating bulb to remove mucus from your baby's nose or mouth when a cold or allergies make it hard for the baby to eat, sleep, or breathe. Don't do this more than 5 or 6 times a day. Doing it too often can make the congestion worse and can also cause the lining of the nose to swell or bleed.
Severe trouble breathing means:. Moderate trouble breathing means:. Mild trouble breathing means:. Symptoms of heatstroke may include:.
Heatstroke occurs when the body can't control its own temperature and body temperature continues to rise. It can be hard to tell how much pain a baby or toddler is in. Sudden tiny red or purple spots or sudden bruising may be early symptoms of a serious illness or bleeding problem. There are two types. Petechiae say "puh-TEE-kee-eye" :. Symptoms of serious illness in a baby may include the following:. Symptoms of serious illness may include:.
Shock is a life-threatening condition that may occur quickly after a sudden illness or injury. Babies and young children often have several symptoms of shock.
Fever can be a symptom of almost any type of infection. Symptoms of a more serious infection may include the following:. Many prescription and non-prescription medicines can trigger an allergic reaction and cause a fever. A few examples are:. Based on your answers, you may need care soon. The problem probably will not get better without medical care. Based on your answers, you may need care right away.
The problem is likely to get worse without medical care. Based on your answers, you need emergency care. Call or other emergency services now. Sometimes people don't want to call They may think that their symptoms aren't serious or that they can just get someone else to drive them.
But based on your answers, the safest and quickest way for you to get the care you need is to call for medical transport to the hospital. Based on your answers, the problem may not improve without medical care. It can be hard to know whether you should call your doctor when your child has a fever , especially during the cold and flu season.
The degree of the fever may not be related to the seriousness of the illness. The way your child looks and acts is a better guide than the thermometer.
Most children will be less active when they have a fever. If your child is comfortable and alert, is eating well, is drinking enough fluids, is urinating normal amounts, and seems to be improving, home treatment without medicine is all that is needed for a fever. Dress your child lightly, and do not wrap him or her in blankets. Dressing lightly will help your child's body cool down. Try these home treatment measures to make sure your child is drinking enough fluids and does not get dehydrated while he or she has a fever.
Don't wait until you see signs of dehydration in your baby. These signs include your baby being thirstier than usual and having less urine than usual. Lowering your child's temperature is important when the fever is causing discomfort. If your child is uncomfortable:. Talk to your child's doctor before switching back and forth between doses of acetaminophen and ibuprofen.
When you switch between two medicines, there is a chance your child will get too much medicine. Call your child's doctor if any of the following occur during home treatment:. The best way to prevent fevers is to reduce your child's exposure to infectious diseases. Handwashing is the single most important prevention measure for people of all ages.
To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment. You can help your child's doctor diagnose and treat your child's condition by providing the following information:. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Learn How this information was developed. To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise. All rights reserved. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. British Columbia Specific Information Body temperature is a measure of the body's ability to generate and get rid of heat.
Topic Overview Fever is the body's normal and healthy reaction to infection and other illnesses, both minor and serious. Fever Temperature varies depending on how you take it. The most common ways to measure it are: Under the tongue. In the armpit. In the rectum. In the ear. Causes of fever It is not unusual for a preschool-aged child to have 7 to 10 viral infections in a year. Common causes of fever include: Viral infections , such as colds, flu , and chickenpox.
Bacterial infections , such as a urinary tract infection. Low body temperature If a low body temperature is your child's only symptom, it is not something to worry about.
Check Your Symptoms Do you think your child may have a fever or chills? How old are you? Less than 3 months. Are you male or female? Why do we ask this question? The medical assessment of symptoms is based on the body parts you have.
If you are transgender or non-binary, choose the sex that matches the body parts such as ovaries, testes, prostate, breasts, penis, or vagina you now have in the area where you are having symptoms. If you have some organs of both sexes, you may need to go through this triage tool twice once as "male" and once as "female".
This will make sure that the tool asks the right questions for you. Has your child had a fever seizure? Fever seizures are uncontrolled muscle spasms that can happen when a child's body temperature goes up quickly. Has your child had surgery in the past 2 weeks? Does your child have symptoms of shock?
Does your child have symptoms of heatstroke? Does your baby seem sick? A sick baby probably will not be acting normally. For example, the baby may be much fussier than usual or not want to eat. How sick do you think your baby is? Extremely sick. Baby is sick sleepier than usual, not eating or drinking like usual. Do you think your baby may be dehydrated? Are the symptoms severe, moderate, or mild? Do you think your child may be dehydrated? It can be harder to tell in a baby or young child than it is in an older child.
The symptoms in a baby are different than the symptoms in an older child. Is your child having trouble drinking enough to replace the fluids he or she has lost?
Little sips of fluid usually are not enough. The child needs to be able to take in and keep down plenty of fluids.
Is your baby having trouble breathing? Sometimes babies may have trouble breathing because of a stuffy nose. If your baby's nose is stuffy, clearing the nose with a rubber bulb may help.
Would you describe the breathing problem as severe, moderate, or mild? Is your child having trouble breathing more than a stuffy nose? The symptoms of difficulty breathing in an older child may be different than symptoms in a baby or young child.
Is your child drooling and unable to swallow, cry, or make sounds? Is your child's ability to breathe:. Getting worse? Staying about the same not better or worse? Getting better? Does your child have symptoms of a serious illness? Did you take your child's temperature? This is the only way to be sure that a baby this age does not have a fever. If you don't know the temperature, it's safest to assume the baby has a fever and needs to be seen by a doctor.
Any problem that causes a fever at this age could be serious. While fevers due to vaccines are usually low-grade, some children may experience a high-grade fever. If your infant or child was over bundled or exposed to a hot environment for too long, they could develop heat exhaustion or even heat stroke.
In fact, 36 children die every year due to heat-related illnesses from being trapped in a hot car. Those suffering from heat stroke will have a high-grade fever, while some suffering from heat exhaustion will have a low-grade fever.
However, many children with heat exhaustion will not show a fever at all. Most of the time, fever comes and goes without any additional problems. Below are some dangers associated with high fevers. Young children, usually between 6 months and 5 years old, may experience a fever-induced seizure. They will typically lose consciousness and start shaking. If your child starts seizing, be sure to lay them on the floor either on their side or stomach.
Remove any sharp objects near your child and hold them to prevent injury. If seizing lasts more than 5 minutes, call As mentioned above, infection is the most common cause of a fever.
Most of the time, the body is able to fight this off on its own. Although rare, a common infection could potentially be life-threatening, especially in infants 3 months or younger. Well, it can be hard to tell. High-grade fevers can be more dangerous than low-grade fevers.
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