A high fever in children is common, especially in their early years. It is not a disease in itself, but a symptom of a specific disease. It is not dangerous as mothers think, but it is an indication of the immune system fighting any infection the child may have.
The high temperature of children has many causes, and many methods of treatment, including natural or through medication, but the matter depends on the nature of his age and illness, so Al-Ahram Gate provides mothers in the following report everything you need to know about high temperature for children.
Children consider that a child's body temperature rises above 37.8 degrees, which requires knowing its causes and treatment, but if the child's temperature is higher than 39 degrees, then it is a dangerous indicator that requires going immediately to the nearest hospital to control the situation.
The child has a high temperature due to several reasons, namely:
Why do infants have a high temperature?
Infants may have a high temperature, and this is for several reasons, including:
Causes of chronic high temperature in children
The child may suffer from chronic high temperature, which is the persistence of high temperature on a daily basis for more than two weeks, and the following are its causes:
1- Causes due to infection
It may cause the child to have a recurring viral infection with a continuous rise in temperature, or the persistence of a certain viral disease for a long time, or due to infection of the respiratory system, urinary tract, or disease tuberculosis.
How to treat a child from a high fever at home
Fever can be treated at home in several ways if the elevation is simple, according to Dr. Muhammad Abd al-Alam, a pediatric consultant, and the most prominent of these methods are the following:
Cases of high fever that need a doctor
There are a group of cases in which if the child's temperature rises, then it is necessary to go to the doctor, and these cases are:
Ratios of high temperature dangerous for children
The child is less than two months old: if his temperature is higher than 38 degrees Celsius.
The child at the age of three to six months: If his temperature rises above 38.3 degrees.
The child is over six months old: if his temperature rises above 39 degrees.
If your child is less than 2 years old: if his fever continues for more than 24 hours, or if he has other symptoms, such as refusal to eat, sore throat, neck stiffness, ear pain, rash, or diarrhea severe headache, or feels restless and appears ill.
Risk factors for a high temperature in children
If the child's temperature rises to 40 and any of these risk factors occur, this may warn that the child is in serious danger, and he needs to consult a doctor, and among these factors:
Methods of diagnosing a high temperature for children
There are some methods that determine a high temperature, namely:
Digital thermometer: It is one of the easiest ways that a mother can do at home, by placing the thermometer under the child's armpit and leaving it pressing on it, and when finished, a sound will beep to determine the temperature.
Ear thermometer: It is one of the most expensive and fastest types, and it can be used and measured in just one second.
Thermal tape: It is an adhesive tape that is placed on the child's head. It measures slowly and is not reliable because its results are not considered certain.
The mercury thermometer: It is one of the oldest and most common types. It is placed under the armpit, in the mouth, or in the anus. However, it is not recommended to use it for children in the mouth because the child may break it and swallow the mercury and get poisoned.
Normal Body Temperature for Babies
The normal body temperature for infants and children is between 36.6°C to 37.2°C.