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High temperature 5 years. High temperature in a child - basic recommendations for parents

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An increase in body temperature during an acute infectious disease is a reasonable reaction of the body. Responding to the invasion of microbes or viruses, it tries to activate metabolic processes, trigger the production of protective proteins, and deliver them to the source of inflammation as soon as possible. All this happens faster. Therefore, during infection, special substances are produced in the tissues - pyrogens, which cause increased heat production. In this case, heat transfer increases slightly or even decreases.

An increase in body temperature during infectious processes is a good prognostic sign. It is believed that a fairly pronounced temperature reaction indicates a high level of activity of the immune system.

Elevated body temperature is defined as follows:

Subfebrile - up to 38 degrees;
moderate febrile –38.1-39 degrees;
high febrile – 39.1-41 degrees;
hyperpyrexic - above 41 degrees.

When microbes and viruses enter the body, heat transfer is first limited: blood vessels narrow, sweating and evaporation decrease, and blood flow to the skin and mucous membranes decreases. The child appears pale, “goose bumps”, becomes cold or even starts to feel chills. This is the first stage of fever - the stage of rising temperature, or white hyperthermia.

When the temperature reaches a certain level, heat transfer increases: the blood vessels of the skin dilate, it becomes pink and hot. There is a feeling of heat (“pink hyperthermia”). This is the second phase of the febrile process, in which the elevated temperature can persist for several hours or days.

After the cessation of pyrogen production, the hypothalamic centers return to their normal level of regulation. Body temperature decreases. This can happen gradually, over several days (lytic decline) or abruptly, quickly - over a few hours (critical decline). With the latter, profuse sweat and rapid breathing appear.

To decide when to reduce a child’s temperature, it is recommended, first of all, to focus on the child’s general condition.

Children usually tolerate moderate hyperthermia well. When body temperature rises to 38 degrees, an adult man sometimes cannot reach a mug of water, but the child plays as if nothing had happened.

With good tolerance, it is not necessary to reduce the temperature below 38-39 degrees, because only at this point does the body begin to produce its own protective proteins - interferons, which have antiviral and antimicrobial activity. A child's use of antipyretics prevents the body from fighting infection. Where he could cope in 3 days, using antipyretics will require 7 - and even taking interferons from outside.

Some children (usually those with a pathology of the nervous system acquired during childbirth) may experience convulsions even at low temperatures. If this has happened before, it is advised not to allow a significant increase in temperature.

If the temperature becomes very high, it itself can cause a deterioration in the child’s condition: lethargy, changes in the heart and blood vessels, and swelling of the brain. Therefore, it is imperative to give antipyretic drugs:

Children under 2 months with a body temperature of more than 38 degrees;
children with a complicated medical history – at 38.5 and above;
all children with a temperature of 39 degrees or more.

Physical and medication methods can be used to reduce body temperature. There is no need to strive to normalize body temperature; a decrease of 0.5-1 degrees to febrile levels is quite enough.

Physical cooling methods are aimed at increasing heat transfer by increasing evaporation. At home, it is recommended to drink plenty of warm drinks and wipe the body with a sponge moistened with water at a temperature of 30-32 degrees. Rubbing the body with a mixture of water and vinegar, so popular among the people, cannot be used on infants. At older ages, they are used only with the permission of a doctor.

The drugs of choice for hyperthermia in children are paracetamol and. If the temperature does not decrease 20-30 minutes after taking the medications by mouth, antipyretics can be administered intramuscularly. To achieve this, emergency physicians usually use mixtures of two or three medications. Children with a body temperature of more than 41 degrees must be hospitalized.

Most often, those parents who are closely faced with the problem of severe hyperthermia in their children call a doctor to their home.

Infectious and inflammatory diseases are often accompanied by high fever, sometimes developing up to thirty-nine degrees.

In general, babies tolerate this difficult condition well, but if a serious illness occurs, there will also be accompanying symptoms that complicate it.

The most common symptoms include migraine, chills, or respiratory symptoms. Only a doctor can decide on the treatment of the baby, but parents should clearly know how to bring down the temperature of 39 in the child before his arrival.

Most often, significant hyperthermia in a child develops due to:

• Bacterial infection;
• introduction of viruses into the body;
• respiratory infections;
• food poisoning;
• allergic reaction;
• teething;
• overheating;
• nervous overstrain;
• oncological diseases;
• immune response to vaccination, etc.

These factors cause a strong fever in the baby, which reflects a sharp activation of the body’s defenses.

Should the temperature be brought down to 39?

The vast majority of domestic and Western pediatricians are of the opinion that when hyperthermia reaches an alarming level of 38.5 degrees, then there is no point in waiting for further developments.

It needs to be lowered. Otherwise, various serious complications can occur, the most common of which is a seizure.

In the case of a serious infectious or inflammatory disease, the question of prescribing antipyretic drugs should be decided only by the attending physician.

If there is no particular danger or, on the contrary, the pediatrician has not arrived yet, and the thermometer readings increase more than 39 degrees, then they need to be reduced.

To do this, it is necessary to clearly understand that a significant increase in temperature is a direct reflection of the body’s resistance. It is the heat that helps him actively fight the infection.

However, its manifestations that are too strong can have a negative impact on the baby, completely robbing him of his strength and leading to dehydration.

How to bring down a child’s temperature of 39 and help him survive this serious condition? First of all, you need to provide him with a large amount of liquid.

To prevent dehydration, you should constantly give your baby water.

Various fruit compotes, berry fruit drinks or decoctions of medicinal plants are well suited for this. The drink must be tasty, otherwise a sick child may refuse it due to poor health.

It is better to give him liquid from a spoon or a convenient bottle. When parents are confused because their child has a temperature of 39, Komarovsky believes that this is the only way to bring it down.

The famous children's doctor Komarovsky also recommends, if hyperthermia develops, to replenish the lost balance of electrolytes in the body. To do this, it is necessary to eliminate the lack of microelements. In such a case, raisins, figs, dried apricots and other dried fruits will help.

According to Komarovsky’s advice, it is strongly recommended to give the child a drink that has cooled down, but still retains heat. Therefore, before you start treating it with diaphoretics, you first need to provide the child’s body with a sufficient amount of fluid.

If only the baby’s forehead is hot, but his legs and arms are cold, this indicates the development of a negative vascular reaction.

In this case, you should know that it is permissible to give a child at a temperature of 39 degrees antispasmodics (Drotaverine or Papaverine) in a pediatric dose, clearly indicated in the instructions for the drug.

It is imperative to open the window completely and achieve significant cooling of the room where the patient is lying. Dr. Komarovsky believes that the thermometer in it should show no more than twenty, or at most twenty-two, degrees.

This helps to balance the body's thermoregulation with the help of the air inhaled by the baby's lungs and the air released by them. In addition, it is worth making the air stream wet.

It is advisable to wet the curtains, place a large basin of water in the room, or place a damp cloth everywhere.

Increased body temperature in a child - Emergency care "Doctor Komarovsky School"

• There is intense heat, which has already exceeded thirty-nine Celsius and is approaching forty degrees;
• diagnosed with heart disease;
• there is vascular pathology;
• there is a tendency to seizures, etc.

All this puts him at significant risk. The heat, which has reached 39.9 degrees, no longer brings any benefit to the body, but causes coagulation of proteins, of which the human body largely consists.

In addition, it creates a significant burden on the cardiovascular and nervous system.

If the fever develops significantly, you should know that you can quickly bring down the temperature of 39 in a child by wiping with water at room temperature. It is not advisable to add any substances to it.

You need to remove everything unnecessary from the baby to avoid overheating. You should leave him in cotton pajamas or a nightgown made from natural fabrics. It is better to cover it with a light sheet.

You should not allow your child to run or scream if he is in an excited state, but it is also undesirable to force him to bed.

Any nervous and physical stress will only increase hyperthermia. It is necessary to sit him in a comfortable place, read to him or distract him with something interesting.

How to bring down a temperature of 39 in a child?

It is possible to reduce the manifestations of fever with the help of appropriate medications only if the child’s temperature of 39-39.5 is not brought down by rubbing and drinking.

It should be remembered that for children under 5 years of age, suppositories, syrups and suspensions are preferable to tablets.

There are special medications, which include syrups, suspensions or tablets. They contain the appropriate doses:

• Ibuprofen;
• Syrup or suppositories with Nurofen;
• Candle with Viferon;
• Paracetamol;
• Calpole;
• Panadol;
• Efferalgan or Cefekon in the required dosage.

They should be taken strictly according to the instructions that come with the medicine. These are effective drugs that can reduce fever for a fairly long period. In addition, they produce an operational effect.

The safest choice in this case is Paracetamol.

It quickly helps bring down the temperature, has an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect, has a minimum of contraindications and adverse reactions, and also does not have a noticeable effect on the hematopoietic system and the central nervous system.

The dosage in tablets for fever in children from 3 to 6 years is 800 mg / day.

From the age of 6, the permissible dose is multiplied by 1.5-2. The minimum interval between medication doses is 4 hours.

If the temperature does not decrease, the tablet can be given again. If the child’s temperature remains at 39 even after repeated doses, then other medications or home remedies are used.

Ibuprofen-based medications also help quickly relieve fever, but they are less effective in providing other benefits to the body.

However, their advantage is that the antipyretic effect lasts for a very long period. The child should also take them no more often than every six hours.

For patients aged 3 months to 2 years, suppositories, syrup and suspension are used in accordance with the instructions. And for children over 3 years old - tablets.

The dosage is 10 mg/kg body weight at a temperature of 38.5 - 39.2, and if the temperature is below this indicator, then 5 mg/kg. The daily dose of the drug should not exceed 30 mg/kg body weight.

How not to lower the temperature

Many parents are horrified when they see numbers on a thermometer that stop at thirty-nine degrees. Therefore, they lose their heads and begin to do things that only worsen the child’s situation.

It should be noted that in medicine, elevated temperature is divided into:

• White, when there is a hot forehead, and the palms and feet are cold, while the face is pale;
• red, when the heat covers the whole body.

Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the temperature in different ways.

• In the first case, it is not recommended to massage the child’s limbs, completely undress him, or apply wet and cool lotions to his body. The baby’s condition is due to vascular insufficiency and these measures will only strengthen it.
• When red hyperthermia is observed, these actions can help, since in this case vascular spasm is not observed; on the contrary, they are dilated.

If a child’s temperature is persistent at 39 and does not react to anything, then you should not rub the baby with an alcohol or vinegar solution, as it contributes to dehydration of the body and negatively affects the condition of the skin.

If there is a large amount of the substance, or if there is damage to the body, it can enter the bloodstream and cause even more damage.

Also, you should not give your child hot drinks with raspberries, linden or honey, and then wrap them tightly.

In this way, parents cause a diaphoretic effect and at the same time clog the air exchange, preventing the thermoregulation system from working at full strength.

In addition, plant substances help create a diuretic effect, which, together with the diaphoretic effect, creates all the conditions for blood dehydration.

Many parents panic when they see that their child’s temperature is 39.4; they don’t know how to bring it down. Therefore, it is necessary to remember that one should not strive to eliminate the heat by any means.

Medicines prohibited for use by children

Under no circumstances should you give your baby drugs such as Amidopyrine, Analgin, Antipyrin or Phenacetin.

They are contraindicated for a child’s body, otherwise intoxication is quite possible, which will make the patient’s condition critical.

• Since babies often have a fever, parents should be prepared for this and know the basic measures that should be taken to help them.
• Even if the child is still an infant, the mother needs to prepare in advance for what she can and should do if he develops hyperthermia, since she will often have to deal with such a problem.
• And, of course, self-medication when a young patient develops a fever is simply unacceptable. All necessary therapy is carried out only by a doctor.

What to do if the temperature does not go down to 39

There are also cases when everything has been tried, but hyperthermia does not disappear. Therefore, if a child’s temperature does not drop to 39 degrees, then this is a signal that specialist help is needed.

An urgent call to the Ambulance is necessary when:

• The heat increases;
• the child does not eat anything;
• he refuses to drink;
• he is getting worse;
• his limbs twitch;
• the child constantly vomits;
• he has severe diarrhea.

If you do not call an ambulance in time, a seizure, cardiac or vascular failure, or organic brain damage may occur.

These symptoms indicate serious metabolic problems, rapid approach of dehydration, as well as the presence of dysfunction of internal organs, and most likely the doctor will prescribe an antibiotic.

While the medical team has not yet arrived, it is advisable to wrap the child in a wet sheet for about five minutes. Then he should be dried and dressed in a dry nightgown.

You also need to pay attention to the accompanying symptoms, because they are the ones that indicate the presence of a certain disease. High temperature is only one of them and in itself cannot give a specialist a complete answer to the question of what the child is sick with.

What to do if the temperature does not decrease after taking an antipyretic? — Dr. Komarovsky

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Thermoregulation and body temperature

Body temperature– one of the indicators of the body’s vital activity, which depends on many physiological processes. Maintaining optimal body temperature and changing it under certain conditions is ensured by the thermoregulation system, the center of which is located in the hypothalamus. It regulates the balance between the formation of heat in the body and its loss, that is, between heat production and heat transfer.

A child is born with an imperfect thermoregulation system. Newborns and children under 3 months of age cannot maintain a constant body temperature and are sensitive to fluctuations in ambient temperature - both indoors and outdoors. Therefore, if not properly cared for, the baby may quickly overheat or become hypothermic.

Some newborns experience a rise in temperature to 38-39° C on days 3-5 of life, as they cannot cope with temperature regulation in the process of adapting to existence outside the womb.

By three months, the baby develops a thermoregulation system, and the formation of daily rhythms of body temperature begins. The minimum temperature is observed late at night and closer to the morning, the maximum - in the afternoon and evening hours. When measuring a child's temperature, you need to know that the temperature of different parts of the body varies significantly. In order to navigate temperature indicators obtained by various measurement methods, you must always keep in mind that the temperature in the armpit is 0.3-0.6 ° C lower, and in the mouth - 0.2-0.3 ° C lower than in the rectum.

Normal body temperature of a baby:

• In the armpits 36-37° C
• Rectal (in the rectum) 36.9-37.4° C
• Oral (in the mouth) 36.6-37.2° C

In addition, there are individual fluctuations in normal body temperature from 35° C to 38.3° C.

How to measure temperature

To measure body temperature in infants, a mercury medical thermometer, an electronic thermometer and a temperature indicator are used. Nowadays, new convenient means are appearing, such as thermometer nipples.

A mercury thermometer measures the temperature only in the armpit. To do this, take the child in your arms, place the thermometer under his armpit and fix the child’s hand with your hand, holding the thermometer so that it does not slip out. It is better to perform this procedure while sitting on the sofa (rather than on a chair) so that if it falls, the thermometer will not break. To obtain objective results, it is enough to hold the thermometer for 3-5 minutes. After finishing measuring the temperature, shake the thermometer or hold it under running cold water.

An electronic thermometer is safer and easier to use. It gives quick and accurate readings, which are displayed in the display window. It is not used to accurately measure temperature in the armpit, since this type of thermometer requires closer contact with the body to take readings, but it is indispensable for measuring oral and rectal temperature. Although recently electronic thermometers have appeared that can accurately measure temperature in the armpit or ear, and in just a few seconds. Their peculiarity is that the tip of the thermometer is a round rubber suction cup, rather than a narrow metal rod. To measure oral temperature, an electronic thermometer is placed in the mouth under the tongue for 1 minute (most electronic thermometers beep when the temperature measurement is completed).

To measure rectal temperature, you need to lubricate the tip of the thermometer with baby cream or Vaseline, place the baby on his back, lift his legs with one hand (as when washing), with the other hand carefully insert the thermometer into the anus to a depth of about 2 cm (it is advisable to read the instructions for the thermometer, since the depth of insertion may depend on its design). Then you need to fix the thermometer between the middle and index fingers, and hold the child’s buttocks with the other fingers.

The temperature indicator is a strip with heat-sensitive squares or divisions with digital marks. When measuring temperature, the squares change color sequentially. The last square that changed color and its corresponding digital value indicate body temperature. The indicator strip is applied to the child's forehead for 15 seconds (sometimes there are strips that should be placed under the tongue - so be sure to read the instructions before using the indicator!). The indicator strip does not give accurate results, so an increase in temperature can only be reliably judged when the indicator shows 37.5 ° C or higher.

In order to correctly evaluate the results of temperature measurements, you need to know what temperature is normal for your child. And to determine this, you need to measure it in a calm environment in the morning and evening in a healthy child and remember the indicators. After you have fixed “your” norm, never measure the temperature of a healthy child without a reason, “just in case.” And even when a child is sick, you should not do this more often than prescribed (see below for how often you should measure the temperature of a sick child). Each temperature measurement procedure worries the child and contributes to the formation of a negative reaction to the thermometer.

How to suspect a child has a high temperature and roughly estimate it

Young children may react differently to increased body temperature. Their reaction will depend primarily on the reason for the increase in temperature. Signs of elevated temperature may include:

• lethargy or restlessness;
• thirst;
• dry mucous membranes (lips, tongue);
• increased heart rate; increased breathing;
• bright blush on the face, “flaming” cheeks (and sometimes, on the contrary, pallor);
• red, inflamed or too shiny eyes; chills;
• sweating

Increased heart rate and respiration are important signs of increased temperature, so you need to be able to assess pulse and respiration rates.

A child's normal heart rate is 100-130 beats per minute while sleeping and 140-160 while awake. When crying, the pulse is 160-200 beats per minute.

As the child gets older, the heart rate slows down and by the age of two it is usually 100-140 beats. As for the respiratory rate, newborns usually take from 40 to 60 breaths per minute, one-year-old children - only 25-30. You need to know that some children do not react at all to an increase in temperature.

If you suspect an increase in temperature, you must first touch your cheek to the child’s forehead (do not assess the temperature with your lips or palm). If you feel that your forehead is hotter than usual, you should measure your temperature with one of the thermometers described above.

The most common causes of fever

Fever (increased temperature), which is not a sign of illness, can reach 38.3 ° C. Its cause may be:

• overheating of the child due to excessive wrapping or exposure to direct sunlight; violation of the drinking regime (especially in children under 3 months);
• constipation;
• high physical activity;
• physical stress (prolonged screaming);
• teething;
• constitutional features.

In any case, the cause of the fever should be eliminated if possible. If overheating, you need to take the child to a cooler place, remove excess clothes from him, and give him something to drink. If the drinking regime is violated, it is necessary to ensure that the child receives a sufficient amount of fluid. In case of prolonged absence of stool, cleansing enemas and gas tubes are used. When screaming, it is necessary to establish its cause and eliminate it. In unclear cases, it is better to seek help from a doctor.

Well, the best thing is to avoid such situations at all, so the child should be dressed appropriately for the ambient temperature, and in the summer be in the shade of trees or under awnings. You need to follow a diet, drinking regimen, and hardening. However, it must be remembered that a temperature rise above 38° C is most often a sign of disease. Most often, a febrile state is accompanied by various childhood infections (measles, rubella, mumps, etc.), colds (ARVI), intestinal infections, inflammatory diseases of the ear, throat, nose, lungs, kidneys, etc. Preventive vaccinations may also be accompanied by an increase in temperature. There is another group of diseases that can cause fever in a child. These are hypoxic, traumatic, inflammatory and hereditary lesions of the central nervous system.

Speaking about diseases, it should be noted that the temperature does not always correspond to the severity of the disease. In general, an increase in temperature in itself is not a disease, but a way for the body to fight it.

This is especially true for infectious diseases. However, in children, the protective functions are not yet perfect, so children react to the disease differently: the temperature can rise strongly or moderately, remain normal or even drop.

How to react to a rise in temperature in a child

An increase in temperature due to any illness requires consultation with a doctor. But before the doctor arrives, if the child has a fever, you must use one of the non-medicinal methods of reducing the temperature described below.

Temperatures that do not rise above 38°C usually do not need to be reduced.

Higher temperatures, especially those accompanied by other symptoms and behavioral disturbances in the child, usually require reduction. Of course, a temperature above 38.5°C in all children under one year of age and above 38°C in children with a history of seizures or other lesions of the central nervous system requires a reduction. However, the final verdict on the issue of reducing temperature always remains with the doctor.
Before the doctor arrives, parents should prepare the following information:

• your assumptions about the cause of the fever;
• a list of medicinal and non-medicinal methods used to reduce temperature with an assessment of their effectiveness;
• a sheet with figures of the measured temperature indicating the method and time of its measurement.

If you did not have the opportunity to immediately seek medical help and the doctor should not come on the first day of illness, write down your temperature on all previous days. Measure it 3 times a day at regular intervals, preferably at the same hours. If temperatures vary greatly throughout the day, you can measure your temperature every 3 hours. In addition, to assess the effectiveness of medications, temperature should be measured 30-40 minutes after their use.
In what cases should you call a doctor immediately?

In the following cases, a child under one year of age needs an urgent examination by a pediatrician or emergency doctor:

• An increase in temperature is observed in a child under 3 months of age.
• The temperature in the armpit is above 38° C. If you cannot call your local pediatrician (for example, on weekends or holidays, at a late hour), and the temperature rises above 38.5° C, you need to call an emergency or ambulance.
• If you find your child has a high temperature, try measuring it again in a calm environment after 20-30 minutes. If the thermometer reading remains the same, call a doctor.
• Convulsions have appeared (the body is tense, the eyes are rolling, twitching of the limbs is visible, paleness of the skin may be noted), or the child has had convulsions before (i.e., the temperature has increased against the background of convulsions).
• The baby's neck seems tense and he is unable to tuck his chin to his chest.
• An increase in temperature is accompanied by noisy, frequent, arrhythmic breathing, and a severe runny nose.
• The child cries continuously or has become unusually lethargic or apathetic.
• The child refuses to eat for more than 6 hours in a row.
• The child has vomiting or diarrhea.
• The child does not urinate for a long time, or the color of his urine is changed.
• The child has a skin rash.
• The methods you use to reduce temperature do not give the desired effect.
• The child has a chronic disease.

The younger the child, the sooner he should be examined by a doctor. After all, the success of treatment depends on its timely administration. And only a doctor can decide what needs to be done first: reduce the temperature or treat the cause of its increase.

Rules for caring for a febrile child

First of all, it is necessary to create conditions for fresh air to enter the room where the child is. To do this, the room needs to be ventilated periodically (the child should be taken out during this time). In the children's room the air temperature should be 18-22° C, during sleep 17-20° C. Central heating is preferable, since electric heaters dry the air. When the temperature rises, it is necessary to refrain from sleeping in the air and walking. A feverish child should not be wrapped in a blanket, nor should plastic sheets or mattress covers be used. The child’s daily bathing should not be stopped, but the temperature should not be lower than 36-37°C.

There is no need to worry if during illness the child eats reluctantly and little. You can't force feed him. The best option is to feed small meals frequently. The most important thing for a sick child is drinking, so he needs to be given water as often as possible.

It is necessary to protect the child's sleep. You cannot wake him up to feed him or take his temperature: during illness, sleep is more important to him than food.

Non-medicinal ways to reduce fever

To reduce the temperature in young children, rubbing with a sponge moistened with warm water is effective. When rubbing, the child's skin cools due to the evaporation of moisture from its surface. It is better to start rubbing with the face, neck, then move on to the arms, legs and torso. You cannot wipe with alcohol, vinegar or cold water - this causes a rapid decrease in skin temperature and vascular spasm, which leads to a decrease in heat transfer and, accordingly, an increase in temperature. In addition, vinegar and alcohol penetrate the skin, but they are toxic to the baby. If the temperature rise is accompanied by chills, the child can be covered warmly.

Drinking plenty of fluids also helps lower your temperature. It is clear that you will not be able to convince your baby to drink more, so you need to persistently offer him breast milk or his favorite drinks more often. When sweating, it is necessary to change your underwear more often (both underwear and bed linen).

Be sure to follow the rules for caring for a febrile child!

Medicinal methods of reducing temperature

To reduce fever in children under one year of age, medications are used whose active ingredient is paracetamol. When you buy an antipyretic drug, pay attention to the packaging: next to the trade name of the drug, the name of the active substance should be written in smaller, often Latin, letters - that is, the component that has a therapeutic effect. The most suitable for children are suppositories, syrups, drops, and solutions.

Antipyretics that are suitable for your child must be purchased in advance, after mandatory consultation with the child’s doctor!

Do not mix medications into milk, formula, or drinks.

And most importantly, parents should know about medicinal methods of combating fever, especially in children under 3 months of age: only a doctor should prescribe medications and their doses!

Nina Brashnina. Associate Professor, Department of Childhood Diseases No. 1, Russian State Medical University, Ph.D.

When a baby's fever is combined with cough, restlessness, diarrhea or other symptoms, it is easier to identify the disease. But it happens that parents ask: “The child is one year old, the temperature is 38.5 without symptoms, why and what to do?” Let's look at why this happens and what to do in such situations.

Why is the temperature rising?

An increase in body temperature indicates that the body is fighting foreign cells or substances. These can be viral, protozoal, bacterial infections, foreign bodies, frostbite, burns.

Most pathogens are not able to live at temperatures of 38 degrees or higher.

The mechanism for increasing body temperature is associated with the activation of leukocytes - white blood cells that provide the body's immune defense. Starting the fight against pathogens, they release compounds (interleukin and others) that stimulate the thermoregulation center in the brain. As a result, metabolism speeds up and heat production increases.

Temperature values ​​vary and are divided into types:

1. Subfebrile – 37.1-38 °C;
2. Febrile moderate – 38.1-39 °C;
3. Febrile high – 39.1-40 °C;
4. Hyperpyretic fever – above 40°C.

Forms and signs of meningitis in children, when to sound the alarm:

The younger the child is, the more often the increase in temperature is not accompanied by other symptoms, and the mark on the thermometer usually does not rise above 38.5°C. The reasons for this may be the following:

• The primary collision of the immune system with pathogens unfamiliar to it - the body successfully fights the danger, so other manifestations of the disease do not occur;
• Impact of stress - fear, unfamiliar surroundings, loud sounds;
• Overheating - the body of young children is not capable of optimal thermoregulation, for example, when they are in a stuffy room, if the child is warmly dressed in the summer, his temperature can rise to 37-38 and higher;
• The first days of the development of an infectious disease, the signs of which may appear after 2-3 days - pharyngitis, sore throat, otitis media, exanthema or others.

A child without symptoms may have a fever due to infectious pathologies of the urinary tract, so if it does not decrease, you should consult a doctor and take a urine test.

Another cause - exanthema disease () - occurs between the ages of 9 months and two years. Often its only manifestation for 2-5 days is elevated temperature.

The thermometer can creep up without symptoms even during teething, but most often this is accompanied by hyperemia of the gums and restlessness of the baby. The child’s body’s reaction to vaccination can also be manifested by an increase in temperature to 37.5-38 °C.

The cause may also be the onset of food or drug allergies. In some cases, parents may simply not notice other symptoms, so if the temperature does not decrease, you should consult a doctor.

A child has a fever without symptoms - what to do?

An increase in thermometer readings does not always manifest itself as fever - the baby’s skin may also be cold, for example, due to spasms of the blood vessels of the extremities. As the temperature increases, the child's forehead does not always become hot. For accurate measurements, use a thermometer, ideally an electronic one.

Nature of actions during enlargement in a child:

• If you have an acute respiratory viral infection of 37.5° and below, you should not knock it down, since the body copes with pathogens on its own, and the increased heat generation is aimed specifically at fighting pathogens.
• In case of exanthema, sore throat and intestinal infections, subfebrile and febrile values ​​should be reduced and consult a doctor as soon as possible.
• At 38.5° and above, antipyretic drugs are used - acceptable drugs recommended by the doctor should always be in the home medicine cabinet. Examples of drugs are Ibuprofen, Paracetamol, Nurofen, Panadol.
• In case of neurological diseases, congenital heart defects, hypoxia or cerebral hemorrhage at birth, the temperature should not be allowed to rise beyond 39°C. For such health problems, take regular measurements and take reduction measures if necessary.
• If the temperature rises due to the baby’s excitement or a stressful situation, then give him a mild sedative selected by the doctor.

Is it necessary to bring down a child’s temperature of 38.5 or higher?

What to do if a child has a temperature of 38.5 without symptoms? It is necessary to knock it down in the following cases:

• There is a history of febrile seizures and the child is between 3 and 5 years old;
• Up to two months of age;
• For serious pathologies of the nervous, respiratory systems, heart and other organs;
• With deterioration of health and restless behavior;
• If the child refuses to eat.

Causes of vomiting and fever in a child, including without stomach upset:

What not to do:

1. Reduce the temperature with Aspirin, Analgin, Amidopyrine, Phenacetin and other drugs based on these drugs;
2. Rub children under 5 years of age with alcohol or vinegar - these substances are actively absorbed through the skin and can cause poisoning;
3. Wipe the baby's body with a damp cloth and place him in cool water.

If there are no symptoms, it is important to closely monitor the child's condition. Regularly change wet clothes for dry ones, give more warm drinks, do not try to feed the baby if he refuses to eat.

If antipyretic therapy does not have an effect and the high temperature persists or even increases, you should call a doctor.

When to see a doctor?

You should definitely seek medical help if:

• After the temperature drops, the baby refuses food or burps - this may indicate an intestinal infection or;
• The child’s temperature rose to 39° without symptoms and did not subside after the use of antipyretics;
• The temperature lasts 3-4 days or longer;
• Convulsions have appeared - they can occur with respiratory pathologies, after vaccination, with neurological disorders and increased intracranial pressure.

If febrile convulsions develop, before the doctor arrives, it is necessary to bring down the temperature with an antipyretic agent in the form of rectal suppositories, lay the child on a flat, hard surface, turn his head to the side and remove excess clothing, which may impede breathing or prevent the removal of heat from the body.

During an attack, performing artificial respiration, giving parenteral drugs or water is prohibited.

Children's antipyretics should always be available. Their use is symptomatic and is aimed at alleviating the child’s condition. And the basis of treatment is to combat the cause of the fever.