What to do if your child has a fever at night

The growth of a child always concerns the parents. If the child has a problem, the parent will definitely feel more distressed than the child. Especially for younger children, who may not be able to speak yet, they cannot tell where they are uncomfortable, which makes parents even more anxious and angry. For some children, they may suddenly have a fever in the middle of the night due to the weather. What should parents do at this time?

What should I do if my child suddenly has a fever at night?

First take your temperature to see how high it is. If it is a young baby, check whether it is caused by the room temperature being too high or the baby being wrapped too tightly and unable to dissipate heat. Eliminate physical factors first. If the temperature is below 38.5 degrees, you can give some water and do physical cooling: use warm water to wipe the neck, armpits, groin and other parts that dissipate heat quickly; if the fever is higher, you can use 75% alcohol plus twice the amount of warm water to wipe it, or you can use more than 30 degrees of alcohol plus a little water to wipe it.

If the temperature has come down and the child can sleep peacefully, do not go to the hospital in the middle of the night, because people who go to the emergency room are often more seriously ill and are prone to cross infection. However, if the fever is still very high after half an hour of physical cooling, or if there are symptoms of acute or severe illness as mentioned above, you should go to the hospital immediately.

What preparations should parents make when taking their children to the hospital?

In the outpatient clinic, we often find that parents come with their children wrapped in quilts, without bringing any food or drinks. Even if the children wet their diapers, there is no change of blankets, which makes the children look very embarrassed. So no matter how serious the illness is, you should still dress your child and bring necessary items such as milk, water, diapers, etc. Because once you get to the hospital, you may not be able to receive medical treatment immediately, and it may take another hour or so. It is best to put the things you need to prepare when taking your children out in a fixed place at home. Whether you are sick or going out to play, you can take them with you at any time, which will make things easier.

If your child has diarrhea, it is best to bring the child's recent stool with you; if you suspect there is a problem with the urine, bring the urine with you as well. This way, you can get tested in time when you arrive at the hospital.

How to communicate with doctors to facilitate the diagnosis of children’s diseases?

The doctor will want to know your child's medical history. Therefore, parents should know what their children are like normally, when and how they behave when abnormalities occur. For example, how long did the fever last and how high was the temperature? Do you have cough, vomiting or diarrhea while having a fever? Sometimes the doctor will also ask about the feeding history, what the child usually eats, and how he has eaten in the past one or two days? It is best to have the person who normally cares for your child talk to the doctor.

Can an IV make my child get better faster?

Not all diseases require intravenous infusion. For example, viral infections usually last about 7 days, and intravenous infusion cannot relieve symptoms or shorten the course of the disease. In fact, the substances used in infusion are just water, sugar, salt, antibiotics, etc., or a little vitamins, which are basically the same as the ingredients of oral medicines. If the child's digestive tract is normal and the medicine works, there is no need to supply the medicine through the blood. Intravenous infusion is only needed when the child's overall condition is particularly poor or there is a problem with the entire digestive tract function.

The basic principle of medication is: take medicine instead of injections if you can, and take injections instead of intravenous infusions if you can. Blind infusion not only increases the child's pain and the parents' burden, but also increases the risk.

If the child's temperature drops in time, how should we care for him at home? You must remember that even if your baby is sick and doesn't like to eat, you must insist on letting him eat. It is best to give him some soft food that is easy to digest. This will not only supplement nutrition, but also replenish energy for the child's body and fight the disease.