What is the reason for a child's persistent high fever?

When a child is found to have a high fever, appropriate measures must be taken to treat him/her to avoid more serious situations. Many children will have a high fever that will not go away, and sometimes it will recur frequently. This phenomenon needs to attract the attention of parents. If the high fever persists for a long time, it is very dangerous. So what is the reason for the child's persistent high fever?

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. Hypernatremia or hyponatremia

At the beginning of fever, dehydration occurs, the sodium concentration in the blood increases, the blood becomes hyperosmotic, and dry mouth, extreme thirst, irritability, and even delirium or convulsions occur. The fever will not only not subside but will become 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.

4. “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.

The above is an introduction to the reasons why children have persistent high fevers. We must avoid high fevers in our lives. If a child has this situation, it is very dangerous and will have a certain impact on the child’s intelligence. Therefore, when a child has a high fever, we must reduce the fever as soon as possible.