How to bring down the temperature in young children

Noticing even a slight increase in body temperature in your child, many parents immediately begin to panic, although they certainly know that this is the first protective reaction of the body, and to start immediately to knock down the temperature means not allowing the child's body to fight on its own.

First let's see what the thermometer means and how to lower the temperature in children, if necessary.

In most cases, in small children, the thermometer readings at 37 to 38 ° C only indicate that the temperature is simply increased( this is the case for infants), at 38.5 ° C, the state of mild fever is already noted, even at 39,5 ° C - fever is still considered moderate, and at a mark above 40 ° C fever is considered strong( although most children suffer even this temperature is much lighter than adults).If the readings of the thermometer go above 40 ° C, this is a very dangerous condition, since it threatens to lead to a thermal shock, convulsions, so it is important to know how to knock down the temperature in children in this case.

As a general rule, doctors do not advise to bring down the temperature in children before reaching the level of 38.5 ° C, but if your child has previously experienced temperature cramps in which the baby rolls his eyes, the chin and eyelids begin to tremble, the hands and feet are shaking and from further increasethe child can simply lose consciousness - in these cases, do not wait, urgently call for an ambulance and begin to give antipyretic immediately, even before the arrival of doctors( parents who ever faced such a condition of the child, AT their desired antipyretic drug on hand).

In other cases, the temperature decrease in children may begin spontaneously, after a while, because the mechanism of thermoregulation( especially in newborns) is still imperfect, and even a little more intense activity in a baby can give rise to temperature drops of up to 38 degrees. Therefore it is very important to dress children for the season not only on the street, but also at home. Clothing should be made of natural fibers, giving a normal ventilation and a good absorbing sweat. In no case can not "steal" the child.

How to knock down the temperature in children, and whether the temperature reduction in children is effective at home?

Inexperienced parents often do not know how to bring down the temperature in young children. If your baby's convulsive syndrome has not previously been observed, you can first try to apply simple household methods of lowering the temperature, namely:

- to undress the baby, or simply throw back the blanket, allowing air to blow out the hot body( it is important to provide fresh air into the room, do notassuming, of course, a draft);

- if the heat is large enough, start making water wipes with slightly acidified water( dilute table vinegar in warm water and wipe the baby with a soft cotton napkin).If the child is older, then alcohol or vodka wiping can be done;

- another way to lower the temperature in infants is to compress the feet with moistened in a cool water napkins, from above, covering the baby with a dry diaper or towel. The procedure should be repeated within half an hour and, as a rule, during this time the temperature is reduced by 1 ° C;

- be sure to give your baby a generous warm drink at elevated temperature - on a teaspoon, if it is still very small, and as often as possible. This is extremely important, since sweating, the child, along with the evaporation, loses a lot of fluid, and if diarrhea is observed, the fluid loss increases many times;

If you have tried everything, but nothing helps for a hour and a half or two, the temperature stays firm above the level of 38.5, worse, it continues to grow, it is urgent to call a doctor and connect medications. In your medicine cabinet must be present antipyretic rectal suppositories for young children, as well as children's syrup based on paracetamol, which give kids older.

When choosing a drug, you should definitely follow the recommendations of a pediatrician who observes your baby. If you are offered something else in the pharmacy, you should carefully study the instructions and pay attention to the safety of the drug, since the pharmacist does not know the health features of your child, and the individual dosage of the medicine is important to know before knocking down the temperature in children.

Remember that any decrease in temperature in children is not a cure for the disease that caused this temperature, so further treatment( if required) should only be prescribed by a doctor!