What to do if your baby catches a cold and has a fever

No matter whether it is cold or warm in all four seasons of the year, it is impossible to avoid catching a cold. It is easy to catch a cold when the seasons change, when the weather is cold, when the wind is strong, and even in the hot summer nights when the temperature drops a little, the body is not used to it and can easily catch a cold. This is the case with most adults, and babies, whose bodies are so fragile, are more likely to catch a cold, and if they catch a cold, they are prone to fever, which will have an impact on the baby. So today I’m going to tell you what to do if your baby catches a cold and has a fever.

Wipe the whole body with a warm towel. This is a great way to cool down any baby who has a fever. The water temperature should be between 32 and 34 oC, and each wiping time should be more than 10 minutes. The key areas to wipe are the skin folds, such as the neck, armpits, elbows, groin, etc.

Warm bath

The water temperature is about 3~4℃ lower than the sick child's body temperature, and each time lasts 5~10 minutes.

Many parents think that babies should not be bathed when they have a fever. In fact, on the contrary, giving babies a warm bath can help cool them down. A warm bath is suitable for all babies with a fever.

Low temperature chamber method

Place the sick child in an environment with a room temperature of about 24℃ to allow the body temperature to slowly drop. In order to allow the skin to come into contact with the outside air and help cool down, people need to wear less clothes. If conditions permit, use air conditioning to lower the room temperature. This method is suitable for babies under 1 month old, especially in summer. Just open the baby's clothes and put him in a cool place, his body temperature will slowly drop. If your baby has chills and shivering when having a fever, you should not use the low-temperature chamber method.

Cooling patch

Cooling patches are a new product in recent years and are very popular. In fact, their cooling effects are average and not as exaggerated as advertised. Put a patch on the baby's forehead, the baby's head will feel more comfortable, and parents will also feel more at ease. It should be beneficial and harmless.

Ice

There is still much controversy about the pros and cons of this approach. I think ice compresses do more harm than good, because they may cause the capillaries in the baby's skin to contract, hindering heat dissipation and causing the body temperature to be higher, especially if accompanied by chills and shivering. Ice compresses should never be used.

Alcohol bath

Babies' skin is very thin and alcohol is highly permeable, so it may be absorbed into the blood through the skin. Moreover, alcohol baths can also irritate the skin, causing capillaries to contract, hindering heat dissipation, and causing the body temperature to be higher. This approach has been abandoned.

We have already told you what to do if your baby catches a cold and has a fever. Usually when the seasons change, when the weather is cold, when the wind is strong, and at night. In short, whenever there is a possibility of catching a cold, you should dress your baby warmly. It's better to be safe than sorry. It’s better for children not to get sick. Adults are in good health, so it’s no big deal, but children’s bodies are still very fragile. So please take good care of your little one!