What are the dangers of a child having a high fever?

When a child is sick, parents are the most worried. When a child shows some symptoms of illness, effective care should be provided in a timely manner. For children, some diseases that seem simple actually hide great dangers. For example, when a child has a high fever, parents should pay attention to it. If the child's high fever is not treated in time, it will cause serious consequences to the child and pose many dangers to the child.

1. High fever cramps

Generally speaking, children under 6 months old or over 6 years old will not suffer from cramps due to high fever. Among children aged 1 to 6 years old, only 2% to 5% will experience this type of cramps. Cramps often occur when a high fever suddenly occurs. Cramps only occur once per fever and rarely more than twice. As long as the convulsions do not last long and are handled properly, they will not have much impact on the child's health. But repeated or persistent cramps can cause cerebral hypoxia and damage the brain.

2. "Brain damage"

Generally, fever has little effect on the body's tissues and organs, and can accelerate the development of resistance. When the body temperature exceeds 41°C, proteins in the body will decompose, causing cerebral edema and resulting in death or sequelae of encephalopathy in the child. Therefore, if a child has a high fever above 40°C, emergency treatment is required.

3. Dehydration

In the hot summer, children lose more water through breathing and skin than in other seasons, and the amount is even greater when they have a fever. For every 1°C increase in body temperature, the amount of water lost per kilogram of body weight per hour increases by 0.5 ml. When you sweat profusely while taking antipyretics, you lose more water from your body. Dehydration not only makes it difficult to reduce fever (dehydration itself can cause fever in young infants), but also affects metabolism and blood circulation, causing acidosis, etc. Therefore, children with high fever must be encouraged to drink water and, if necessary, receive intravenous drips under the guidance of a doctor.

4. Hypernatremia or hyponatremia with fever and initial dehydration

The sodium concentration in the blood increases and the blood becomes hyperosmotic, causing extreme thirst, irritability, and even nonsense or cramps. The fever will not only not subside but will become even higher. If the fever persists for a long time and the diet is not appropriate, hyponatremia will occur, and the child will become extremely tired and even apathetic or comatose. These conditions are more common in infants and young children who are usually malnourished.