Table of contents:
- Causes of fever in toddlers
- Signs and symptoms of fever in toddlers that must be watched out for
- When should parents take their toddler to the doctor or hospital?
- How to quickly deal with fever in toddlers
- 1. Compress with warm water
- 2. Give him drink a lot
- 3. Wearing clothes that are not too thick
- 4. Giving febrifuge
Children, especially infants and toddlers, are still very susceptible to disease and any health conditions. This is because their bodies have not been able to form a good immune system. One of the most common conditions is fever in toddlers, and of course this often makes parents confused.
So, what is the most appropriate way to deal with fever in toddlers? This article will discuss the causes, symptoms, and how parents can deal with this condition.
Causes of fever in toddlers
Fever is an increase in body temperature which is generally temporary. Fever in toddlers is generally the first sign that the body is fighting an infection from outside. These attacks are usually caused by a bacterial or viral infection.
Therefore, usually fever is a part or symptom of an illness. All diseases, especially in toddlers, must be preceded by a fever.
Even more so if the disease is an infection from bacteria or viruses, both mild and severe. The toddler's body will react with an increase in temperature, so that the toddler will experience a fever.
Almost every baby and toddler will have a fever, at least once during his childhood.
Signs and symptoms of fever in toddlers that must be watched out for
The signs that you certainly need to pay attention to are the toddler's body temperature. So that you can find out your baby's temperature accurately, make sure you measure it with a thermometer. Estimating body temperature by hand is of course not enough.
You can buy an over the counter thermometer at a pharmacy. Toddlers can be said to have a fever if the body temperature shown on the thermometer reaches more than 38 degrees Celsius.
If the toddler's body temperature reaches above 38 degrees Celsius, immediately give the toddler plain water. Make sure your little one stays hydrated and gets enough fluid intake.
If the fever in your toddler doesn't go away, you can provide treatment at home first, starting from giving medication without a doctor's prescription, and compressing your toddler's forehead.
When should parents take their toddler to the doctor or hospital?
If the fever does not go down and is accompanied by the following symptoms, you need to be vigilant:
- Toddler's body temperature is getting higher
- Toddlers do not want to eat and drink
- The body is getting limp
- There are signs of shortness of breath
- Toddlers have had seizures, or have had a history of seizures
If your little one shows these signs and symptoms, you should immediately take him to the nearest doctor, clinic or hospital.
How to quickly deal with fever in toddlers
If your toddler's temperature is higher than usual, you don't need to panic. Before taking to the doctor or hospital, you can do treatment at home first to treat fever in toddlers.
1. Compress with warm water
One of the most common ways to lower your little one's body temperature is to compress with warm water. By compressing, the toddler's body temperature will drop temporarily.
2. Give him drink a lot
As previously explained, toddlers are prone to dehydration when they have a fever. This is because an increase in body temperature causes you to sweat more. Therefore, giving adequate fluid intake is very important to treat fever in toddlers.
3. Wearing clothes that are not too thick
Not only that. To prevent toddlers from sweating excessively, you can wear thin clothes. Also make sure your toddler is resting at a comfortable room temperature, not too cold or too hot.
Wearing clothes that are too thick is a risk to the condition of toddlers. Because their bodies are not able to regulate body temperature properly, clothes that are too thick will make it difficult for the heat to fall.
4. Giving febrifuge
You can also give children febrifuge drugs that are sold freely in pharmacies, aka without a doctor's prescription. Choose drugs that contain paracetamol or ibuprofen to help reduce fever in toddlers
In addition to controlling hot body temperature, medications can also relieve and relieve symptoms that toddlers experience, such as dizziness, body discomfort, and headaches. Thus, toddlers will feel more comfortable and have an appetite to eat and drink again.
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