When Children Have High Fever, Parents Should Not Panic

AnI have a high fever can worry parents. However, don't panic! Stay calm down, in order to be able to help overcome fever in children better.

A child's normal temperature is 36.5 – 37.5° C, and can be considered as having a fever when the temperature rises to more than 38°C. Fever in children can be caused by many things, but that does not mean it should be treated immediately with medication.

Causes of High Fever in Children

Fever is the body's natural mechanism of fighting infection. The appearance of a fever in children indicates that the child's immune system is working to fight the flu or other infections.

Fever occurs when the brain gives orders to increase body temperature. This is needed to direct white blood cells against viruses and bacteria that interfere with the body.

There are several causes of high fever in children that need to be known, namely:

  • Iinfection

    As explained earlier that fever is a sign of a child's immune system fighting infection. Infectious diseases that can cause high fever in children include flu, roseola, tonsillitis, ear infections, upper respiratory tract infections (ARI), kidney infections , urinary tract infection (UTI), chickenpox, and whooping cough.

  • Clothing and ambient temperature

    Not only infection, fever can also attack a child if he is too long to be outside in hot weather. Fever can also occur when children wear clothes that are too thick. This condition is usually experienced by infants, especially newborns. It is advisable to dress the baby in thick clothes only if the air temperature is indeed cold.

  • Immunization effect

    Some children and infants may also develop a fever after immunization. Usually the fever is relatively mild. Ask the doctor who gave the immunization, about the treatment that may be needed if the child has a fever after immunization.

Method Overcoming High Fever on Child

When a fever occurs, body fluids evaporate more quickly, increasing the risk of dehydration. Therefore, the first thing that must be done when dealing with high fever in children is to meet their fluid needs.

Make sure your child is drinking enough water to keep his body hydrated. In addition, try to make him eat nutritious foods and high water content, such as fruit or soup. In infants, adequate fluid intake by giving him more breast milk (ASI) or formula milk.

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In addition to meeting the body's need for fluids, there are several other ways that can also be done to treat high fever in children at home, including:

  • Make sure the room temperature remains cool to make the child feel comfortable.
  • Cover the child with a thin cloth and open the window so that air circulation is smoother and the room temperature feels cooler.
  • Place a small towel soaked in warm water on the child's forehead as a compress. It is not recommended to use cold water to compress, because it can increase body temperature and make the child shiver.
  • Get plenty of rest and don't go out yet.

In principle, when a child has a fever, make the conditions as comfortable as possible to prevent the child from shivering or overheating. Although a high fever does not always indicate a serious illness, parents should remain vigilant.