Fever in the baby

What is fever?

Babies and toddlers get a fever more often than adults. It is a protective response by the body that it uses to fight pathogens. They cannot reproduce so well at higher temperatures.

In healthy children, the body temperature is between 36.5 and 37.5 degrees Celsius (° C). If the values climb to 37.6 to 38.5 ° C, the child has an elevated temperature. Doctors speak of fever in babies above 38.5 ° C. There is a high fever when the baby is over 39 ° C. Temperatures of over 41.5 degrees are life-threatening because the body’s proteins are destroyed.

An indication of fever is when the baby’s face is red and hot. Some babies become sleepy from fever, others whine and / or don’t like to eat or drink.

How to measure fever?

The most accurate way to measure body temperature is at the intestinal exit (i.e. in the butt). The measurement in the mouth also gives exact results, but it should only be carried out in children aged five and over. Because in order to reliably determine the temperature in the mouth, the little patient must close the mouth reliably and breathe through the nose and must not bite the tip of the thermometer.

Measurements in the armpit or in the ear are possible, but significantly less precise. They are about 0.5 degrees lower than the actual core body temperature, since the natural heat protection of the skin prevents an accurate measurement.

When and why should the fever be treated?

Babies are usually tired and tired when they have a high fever and are generally sickly. After antipyretic measures, however, they are usually much better. Very young children are also prone to febrile seizures. This is another reason why the fever should be lowered early. See a feverish baby or toddler if you are prone to febrile seizures. In addition, one is strongly recommended doctor visit, if:

the baby is younger than three months and has a temperature of 38 ° C or more (in older children: over 39 ° C)
the baby is older than three months or the toddler is two years or younger and the fever persists for more than a day
the fever does not go down despite fever-lowering measures (such as calf wraps)
other symptoms such as listlessness, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting or rashes
despite the drop in temperature through antipyretic measures, the child is apathetic and does not react as usual
the baby is still significantly impaired despite the decrease in fever
the feverish baby doesn’t want to drink anything
a febrile seizure occurs
You are just worried and worried

Your baby has one in case of fever particularly high fluid requirement. Therefore, make sure that your baby drinks enough. In certain cases, if your child refuses to drink, your pediatrician will arrange for infusion therapy. Feverish babies can dry out (dehydrate) easily because they lose a lot of fluid through sweating due to their relatively large body surface area compared to their body weight.

How to lower the fever?

There are two ways to lower the fever: through non-drug measures and through antipyretic drugs.

Non-drug measures

Feverish babies should not be dressed (too) warm or covered. If the clothes are too warm, the heat will not escape. Thin clothes (like a light romper) and a sheet to cover are usually enough.

If the feverish child has warm legs, you can Wadenwickel do. To do this, dip cotton towels in lukewarm water (about 20 degrees, a few degrees cooler than the baby’s body temperature), wring them out gently, and then wrap them around the baby’s calves. Then place a dry cloth around each calf, plus a wool cloth over each. The water evaporation ensures cooling and increased heat emission. Leave the calf wraps on until they feel warm to the body. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes. As soon as the calves have warmed up again after removing the wraps, you can put them on your baby again.

Antipyretic drugs

High fever in the baby can possibly be reduced with antipyretic drugs (antipyretics) such as paracetamol. Most antipyretic drugs have not only their antipyretic effect but also pain relieving and anti-inflammatory properties. For example, they can be administered as juice or suppositories. Pay particular attention to the correct dosage for babies. Only infant suppositories should be used for babies – and only in the number permitted by the doctor.

Caution: Do not give babies and young children acetylsalicylic acid (ASA): this pain reliever and fever medication may trigger a rare liver and brain disease (Reye syndrome) that can be fatal.

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