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Caring for a baby is a complex task due to their underdeveloped immune system, making them prone to illnesses like fever. Common symptoms include increased body temperature, fussiness, loss of appetite, and occasional shivering. This can be distressing for first-time parents, but measuring a baby's body temperature is a simple way to determine if they have a fever. Various thermometers are available in the market, facilitating accurate temperature measurement without immediately resorting to hospital visits for mild fevers.
Temperature Ranges Parents Should Know When Measuring a Child's Fever:
+ Temperature between 37.5 – 38.5 degrees Celsius: Mild fever
+ Temperature between 38.5 – 39 degrees Celsius: Moderate fever
+ Temperature between 39 – 40 degrees Celsius: High fever
+ Fever is considered very high when the temperature is 40 degrees Celsius or above
After identifying the child's body temperature, parents need to find the cause of the fever, such as teething, viral infection, weather changes, etc. Regardless of the cause, taking good care of the child during this time is essential. Before escalating to hospital visits due to high fever, parents can effectively manage fever at home using simple methods below:
1. Use damp socks wrapped around your baby's neck and feet
This method may seem unusual to some mothers, but it is highly effective in reducing the baby's body temperature. Simply dip socks in warm water; initially, the baby may feel discomfort, but afterward, the body temperature will noticeably decrease.
2. Wrap a thin cloth around the baby's neck
When the baby has a high fever, mothers should avoid using thick blankets or dressing the baby too warmly, as it makes the baby more uncomfortable. An effective solution is not to dress the baby in clothes but instead wrap them in a thin, sweat-absorbing cloth, providing a much more comfortable and restful sleep.
3. Cleanse baby's body with warm water
When the baby has a high fever, both the body temperature and sweat production increase, especially in areas like the armpits, groin, neck, back, etc. In this situation, mothers can use small cotton towels dipped in warm water and place them in these areas, wiping the baby's entire body. Warm water will evaporate, dilating the blood vessels and quickly reducing the fever, effectively.
4. Use fever-reducing medicine if the temperature is above 38.5 degrees Celsius.
In cases where the child's fever is above the 38.5 degrees Celsius threshold, mothers should give the child fever-reducing medication prescribed by a doctor. If the fever persists after two doses, it's advisable to take the child to the hospital for thorough examination and proper treatment.
5. Bathe the child when they have a fever
Traditionally, it was believed to avoid bathing a feverish child, but according to the advancements in medical science and numerous studies, bathing is an effective way to rapidly and efficiently lower body temperature. However, mothers need to adhere to specific bathing techniques for a feverish child:
+ Keep the child's bath time under 5 minutes
+ Ensure the bathwater temperature is lower than the child's body temperature at that moment. For instance, if the child has a fever of 39 degrees, the bathwater should be around 37 degrees Celsius.
+ Bathe the child from top to bottom. After a quick bath, use a clean, soft towel to dry the baby.
Certainly, with these proper bathing techniques, the child will feel much more comfortable after the bath.
6. Give ice cream to the child
Perhaps this seems unfamiliar to Vietnamese mothers, but Western mothers extensively apply this method when their child has a fever. Because during a fever, the child often feels uncomfortable and has a dry mouth, an ice cream stick will not only quench the child's thirst but also lower the child's body temperature. However, please note that this method is only suitable for children over 10 years old and with a mild fever.
However, this method is only applicable to children over 10 years old and not with a very high fever, moms!
Properly caring for your child with a combination of scientific methods and genuine love ensures that these approaches will help your child recover quickly and grow healthier each day.
