What should I do if a 12-day-old baby has a fever?

When a baby is just born, it has been separated from the environment of the mother's womb and has a poor ability to adapt to the outside world. In addition, some of its physiological functions are not yet mature. Therefore, newborns are prone to various diseases. Clinically, neonatal diseases are relatively common, among which neonatal fever is particularly common. The causes of fever in neonates are relatively complex and can be divided into two categories: infectious and non-infectious. So how should we deal with this situation?

Parents should distinguish whether the fever is caused by environmental factors or disease factors. Secondly, choose a good and safe method to reduce fever.

Environmental factors are mostly due to excessive insulation: such as wearing too many clothes and covering yourself with too many blankets. Especially when the indoor temperature is close to 30℃, if the mother's milk secretion is insufficient, the newborn's milk intake will be reduced, which can cause the newborn to become dehydrated and cause the baby to have a fever. By appropriately lowering the ambient temperature (the ideal living room temperature for newborns should be 22-25℃), loosening the quilt or adding more water, the baby's body temperature can return to normal.

If a newborn baby has a fever accompanied by worsening reflexes, pale complexion, loss of appetite, and cold hands and feet, this is a fever caused by disease factors and you should seek medical attention immediately. During transfer, the baby should be wrapped loosely and a cold water bag can be placed on the head. When the body temperature exceeds 39℃, you can first give a warm water bath or warm water sponge bath at home. The water temperature should be 33℃-35℃, and the sponge bathing areas should be the forehead, limbs, groin and armpits. Avoid using alcohol for bathing to prevent the body temperature from dropping sharply, even below 35℃, which will cause adverse effects.

Generally, physical cooling is recommended when the baby's fever is below 38 degrees: 1. Ventilate more and pay attention to heat dissipation. Keep the indoor temperature between 21℃ and 23℃; 2. Let the child rest in bed and get more sleep. Open the blanket or take off excess clothes, and wear loose clothes; 3. Feed the child frequently with warm water or vitamin C juice, 250 ml a night. 4. Apply an ice pack to your forehead.

When a newborn has a fever, parents should not panic but should treat the problem rationally. First, determine the extent of the fever. If it is only a mild fever, you can take some physical cooling methods. If the condition is serious or physical cooling is ineffective, you should see a doctor immediately to find out the cause. In addition, parents' daily care is very important.