What to do if your baby has a fever and is drowsy

In our lives, if mothers find that their babies are drowsy because of fever, they must take their babies to the hospital for treatment in time, because fever is the most likely to cause meningitis in children, and children's meningitis will have many sequelae, which may also affect the child's vision. And when a child has a fever, there must be inflammation in the body. So what should I do if my child is drowsy and has a fever?

What to do if your baby has a fever and is sleepy

Fever refers to a body temperature that exceeds the upper limit of the normal range and is a very common symptom in babies. The normal axillary temperature of a baby is 36-37℃ (the temperature measured by a rectal thermometer is about 0.3℃ higher than that measured by an oral thermometer, and the temperature measured by an oral thermometer is about 0.4℃ higher than that measured by an axillary thermometer). If the axillary temperature exceeds 37.4℃, it can be considered as a fever. In most cases, fever is a protective response of the body to fight invading pathogens, and it is a process in which the human body is mobilizing the immune system to fight infection. The abnormal increase in body temperature is not necessarily proportional to the severity of the disease, but excessively high or prolonged fever can affect the body's various regulatory functions, thus affecting the baby's physical health. Therefore, for babies confirmed to have a fever, the cause should be actively identified and treated accordingly.

When a baby has a fever, there will be other symptoms: accelerated heartbeat, quickened breathing, extreme discomfort, loss of appetite and general weakness. Younger babies may not speak and may even become restless and cry. At this time, it is reasonable to take appropriate measures to keep the body temperature from being too high, especially for babies with fever convulsions or congenital heart disease.

However, a baby's normal body temperature may fluctuate within a certain range due to factors such as gender, age, day and night and seasonal changes, diet, crying, temperature, and the thickness of clothing and bedding. A slight increase in body temperature does not necessarily have pathological significance. When the baby's temperature rises, pay attention to the child's expression and behavior. A baby with a body temperature of 38℃ and a dull look deserves more attention than a baby with a body temperature of 40℃ but still playful. Babies with low resistance will most likely not have a fever even if they suffer from a serious illness.

How to deal with your baby's fever

1. Wear less clothes to allow the baby to dissipate heat.

The traditional idea is that when a baby has a fever, he or she should be wrapped tightly with clothes and quilts to "force" out the sweat. In fact, this is wrong. When babies have a fever, they will shiver and parents may think that their babies have chills, but in fact, this is because their body temperature rises and causes convulsions.

Second, to help your baby cool down physically, there are the following common methods:

1. Cold wet compress on the head: Soak a soft towel in 20℃-30℃ cold water, squeeze it slightly to prevent dripping, fold it and place it on the forehead, change it every 3-5 minutes.

2. Head ice pillow: Fill the ice bag half full with small ice cubes and a small amount of water, expel the air from the bag, press the bag opening tightly, and place it on the pillow after there is no water leakage.

3. Wipe with warm water or take a warm bath: Wipe the baby's head, armpits, limbs with a warm and wet towel or take a warm bath, scrub the skin more to promote heat dissipation.

4. Alcohol bath: suitable for cooling down high fever. Prepare 200-300 ml of 20%-35% alcohol and use it to rub the limbs and back.

3. Drink plenty of water and don’t take any medicine casually. When the fever is high, breathing speeds up and sweating causes the body to lose a lot of water, so parents should give their baby plenty of water when he has a fever, increase urine volume, and promote the excretion of toxins in the body.