We have talked to you on several occasions about what to do if the baby has a fever, and today we stop at some tips to perform before giving an infant to fever that has fever.
There are specific cases in which we can use the antipyretic agents, but it is possible not to administer them and act in other ways to relieve the baby, in the case of mild fevers that do not interfere with the normal development of the baby or child's activity.
Despite being one of the most frequent medical processes in pediatrics, the debate about the suitability of symptomatic treatment of fever goes back more than 30 years ago and lately it is questioned the desirability of systematically using anti-thermal drugs, becoming the objective Main reach the comfort of the child and not the apirexia or absence of fever.
Regardless of finding a solution in this long debate, health workers should convey peace of mind and information to parents about a problem as daily as fever, about which we will return on the blog.
From "Evidence in Pediatrics" it is recommended to expose parents the possibility of not treating fever fever pharmacologically in cases of good tolerance to low fever and emphasize the true cut-off point of the fever (in many cases it dropped even to less than 38º C axillary).
They also recommend in these cases promote the use of physical measures:
- Clear clothes: leave it with a body if it is an infant; in underwear and short sleeve t-shirt in the case of children.
- Ensure proper hydration. The child with fever sweats more to lower his temperature and runs the risk of becoming dehydrated, especially the smallest ones, so it is convenient to offer fluids (breast to infants) frequently.
- Maintain a neutral thermal environment
- The baths with warm water (36-38ºC, that is, water temperature 2 degrees below the temperature of the child) and let it soak for 15 to 20 minutes. In this way the body temperature will be equalized with the water temperature. It is not necessary to gradually cool the bath water. Then the child dries without rubbing and is dressed in little clothes.
The Spanish Association of Pediatrics He recommends using the anti-thermal agents "When the child has a fever and physical measures are not enough." In addition, it reminds us that we have to make sure that the child actually has a fever:
Fever at a temperature greater than 38 ° C in the armpit or greater than 38.5 ° C is considered if taken in the rectum.
Ideally, in each case of fever would be to identify and assess the clinical tolerance of the child to fever and go to the pediatrician in case of doubt. Obviously, if we detect the fever late and it is very high, or there are certain alarming cases that recommend going to the Emergency Department immediately (as in the case of babies under three months), these immediate actions are imposed.
But if the fever is low, the symptoms are mild and the baby or child has good tolerance, before administering drugs for fever we can carry out these other measures that will help the welfare of the child.
