What to do if your baby has a low fever

Newborns are most susceptible to illness from birth to three years old, so parents must take good care of their baby's health. Many newborns begin to have a low fever after one month, which can be considered a slight cold. Be sure to pay attention to the child not wearing too much or too little, and do not take off the child's clothes suddenly. Be sure to take these relevant precautions after the baby has a low fever.

The baby may have caught a cold. If the baby has a fever, you must not cover him too much, otherwise it will not be conducive to the baby's heat dissipation and it will easily cause a high fever and cause high fever convulsions. Keep the indoor air fresh, wear less clothes for the baby and do not cover him. If the fever exceeds 38.5 degrees, you must actively reduce the temperature physically (take a warm bath or apply a fever-reducing patch). If the fever exceeds 39 degrees, you must also use medication. If there are other accompanying symptoms, such as severe cough, severe diarrhea, or high fever that persists for three days, you need to seek medical attention immediately.

If the baby has diarrhea, electrolytes need to be replenished in time. You can feed the baby small amounts of sugar and salt water several times. The concentration should be so that the taste is almost unnoticeable. If the diarrhea is severe, you need to take the baby to the hospital for a routine bowel movement test. You don't have to take the baby to the hospital, and then treat the symptoms. If there is no bacterial infection, do not use antibiotics.

However, considering the above description, the baby's belly should be cold. You can rub your palms to warm them, cover the baby's belly more, and put on a small belly band. If the above symptoms do not improve within three days, it is recommended to seek medical attention immediately.

Low Fever Classification

Low-grade fever can be divided into functional low-grade fever and organic low-grade fever.

Functional low-grade fever:

Its clinical feature is a body temperature that is about 0.3~0.5℃ higher than normal, generally not exceeding 38℃. Common ones are:

1. Physiological low-grade fever: seen in women with low-grade fever before menstruation or during pregnancy;

2. Seasonal low-grade fever: A mild fever accompanied by fatigue and loss of appetite occurs in summer and naturally eases in autumn, which is called summer mild fever.

3. Environmental low-grade fever: About 10% of people working in a high-temperature environment develop a low-grade fever.

4. Neurofunctional low-grade fever.

Clinically, it is more common in young people aged 20-30 years old, and the patient's body temperature is 0.3℃-0.5℃ higher than normal. The duration of low-grade fever varies from several months to several years. The general condition is good and there is no weight loss. This type of patients accounts for about 1/3 of the total number of patients with long-term low-grade fever and has a good prognosis.

Organic low-grade fever:

There are many diseases that cause organic low-grade fever, common causes include tuberculosis, bile tract infection, chronic lesion infection, urinary tract infection, rheumatism, hepatitis, tumors, etc. Others are hyperthyroidism, anemia, connective tissue disease, post-streptococcal status, etc.

Clinical diagnosis

The most common cause of long-term low-grade fever is tuberculosis infection. Tuberculosis is relatively common in children. In addition to low-grade fever, children may also experience changes in personality. Children who were originally active become lazy and inactive, while children who were originally quiet become irritable, prone to temper tantrums, loss of appetite, weight loss, sweating when moving or sweating at night, fatigue, pale complexion, and enlarged superficial lymph nodes in the neck, etc.

To this end, a tuberculin test (OT) or a triple skin swab (PPD-PHA) should be performed. If the result is positive, it can be used as a reference, because positive reactions can also be seen after children have been vaccinated with BCG. In addition, a positive reaction may also occur if you have had tuberculosis in the past.

Further examination of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate is also required. Generally, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate may increase when tuberculosis is active. Finally, the lungs must be examined with X-rays to see if there are any tuberculosis lesions. If all the above tests are negative, tuberculosis can be ruled out.