When Children Have High Fever, Parents Should Not Panic

Children with high fever can make parents worry. However, don't panic! Stay calm, so that you can better help deal with fever in children. The child's normal temperature is 36.5 - 37.5 ° C, and can be considered to have 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 must be treated directly with medication.

Causes of High Fever Children

Fever is the body's natural mechanism in fighting infection. The appearance of 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:

• Infection

As explained earlier that fever is a sign of a child's immune system in fighting infection. Infections that often cause children to suffer from high fever are infections caused by bacteria and viruses. Infectious diseases that can cause high fever in children include flu, roseola, tonsillitis, ear infections, upper respiratory infections (ARI), kidney infections , urinary tract infections (UTI), chicken pox, and whooping cough.

• Clothing and ambient temperature

Not only infection, fever can also attack the child if he is too long outdoor activities during hot weather. Fever can also occur when children use clothes that are too thick. This condition is usually experienced by babies, especially newborns. It is advisable to wear thick clothes if the temperature is indeed cold.

• Immunization effect

Some children and infants can also experience fever after immunization. Usually the fever experienced is relatively mild. Ask your doctor who provides immunizations, about the treatment that may be needed if the child has a fever after immunization.

How to Overcome High Fever in Children

When a fever occurs, body fluids will evaporate more quickly, thereby increasing the risk of dehydration. Therefore, the important thing to do first when dealing with high fever in children is to meet their fluid needs. Try to keep the child drinking enough water, so that his body remains hydrated. Whereas in infants, adequate fluid intake by giving him more breast milk (ASI) or formula milk. In addition to meeting the body's need for fluids, there are several other ways that can also be done to deal with 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 temperature of the room feels cooler.
• Put a small towel soaked in warm water on the child's forehead as a compress. Not recommended using cold water to compress, because it can increase body temperature and make children shiver.
• Get plenty of rest and don't go outside.

In principle, when a child has a fever, make the condition 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 stay alert. If the high fever in the child does not go away with treatment at home, immediately see a doctor to get the treatment needed, according to the child's condition.