Mom, the child is currently running a fever. Don't dress her in so many clothes

When a child has a fever, they just need to wear more clothes and let the sweat come out. "Faced with her daughter-in-law's accusation, the mother-in-law not only didn't listen, but also covered the child with a blanket.

This debate is not just between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, but also between traditional Chinese culture and Western culture, and between traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine.

So, when we catch a cold, should we wear less clothes to reduce the fever, or wear more sweat to reduce the fever?
1、 Is sweating and reducing fever scientific? Is it useful?

The problems encountered by mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in the previous text are common to many people, so is there a scientific basis for sweating and reducing fever?

In fact, covering oneself with a blanket to reduce fever is one of the physical cooling methods, which uses a lot of sweating to take away some heat from the body surface, thereby reducing body temperature. However, this method of reducing fever is not suitable for all situations. Generally, if an adult has a low-grade fever due to catching a cold, this method can be used to reduce fever.

But if you cover yourself with a blanket during high fever, it can easily lead to high fever convulsions, collapse, and other symptoms after sweating heavily. In addition, this method should not be used for children with fever because their body temperature regulation mechanism is still weak. If they are wrapped too tightly, their body temperature will rise faster, which can easily lead to seizures, convulsions, and even shock, posing great harm to the body.

Therefore, it is not recommended to cover sweat and cause fever in children with high fever.

2、 Is there a difference in body temperature between children and adults? What is normal?

Children are the hope of a family, and once there is a headache or fever, parents are very nervous. We know that the normal body temperature for adults is around 36-37 ℃, and some parents also use this temperature to maintain their children's body temperature.

However, Director Ma Baohai of the Pediatric Department at Weifang Maternal and Child Health Hospital stated that the body temperature of children varies from that of adults, fluctuating between 36-37.5 ℃, which is also related to the indoor temperature and how much clothing the baby wears.

For example, when taking a child's body temperature, it can be measured before feeding, as there may be some changes in body temperature after feeding or after activities.

If you notice that your child's face is red and their breathing is getting faster, you should pay attention to taking their temperature to see if they have a fever.

3、 If a child has a fever, the first choice is to use antipyretics to cool down

As mentioned earlier, if a child's temperature exceeds 37.5 ℃, it means they have a fever. How can we reduce the fever for the child at this time?

If a child has a fever below 38.5 ℃, try not to take antipyretic medicine first, because taking antipyretic medicine too early can easily mask the condition. At this time, physical cooling methods can be used to help the child reduce fever.
However, when a child's high fever persists above 38.5 ℃, it is recommended to take antipyretic drugs. Currently, there are two main types of drugs suitable for reducing fever in children, namely acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) and ibuprofen (such as Meilin). These two antipyretic drugs are the most commonly used and have antipyretic effects, but their strength of action, chemical structure, adverse reactions, etc. are very different, so they should be selected differently.

Ibuprofen has a slightly stronger effect than acetaminophen and a longer duration of action. It is generally not recommended to administer it to infants under 6 months old, as it can mask their body temperature and inflammation, affecting the observation and judgment of the condition.

According to domestic treatment standards, children aged 6 months and above with fever can use ibuprofen or acetaminophen; For infants aged 2 months to 6 months with fever, only acetaminophen is recommended.

It is worth noting that whether using ibuprofen or acetaminophen to reduce fever, it must be strictly taken according to medical advice or instructions to avoid irreversible harm to the child.

4、 Children have low-grade fever, these 3 physical cooling methods are really effective

Many parents get busy and flustered when their children have a fever, and we often hear doctors say they need to physically cool their children. So, how can physical cooling be effective?

1. Unfasten clothes while ensuring indoor temperature

When a child has a fever, parents should pay attention to the temperature of the surrounding environment. This is an important measure, and parents need to lower the temperature of the environment in which the child is located. For children with fever, it is necessary to undress or hug them, especially newborns and infants. In addition, it is necessary to open windows for ventilation or turn on air conditioning to control the indoor temperature at around 22-26 ℃.

2. Warm water bath

Children with low-grade fever can use warm water baths to cool down. The recommended water temperature is around 34-36 ℃, which is generally 2-3 ℃ lower than the child's body temperature. The warm water bath lasts about 15 minutes, during which the doors and windows should be closed to avoid direct or convective winds.

It is recommended to use a sitting position for warm water baths. Soak the area below the abdomen in warm water, and gently wipe the area above the abdomen with a damp towel to keep the skin moist and allow it to slowly evaporate in the air for heat dissipation. The key is to wipe the armpits, neck, and groin area, and be careful not to use ice water or cold water, otherwise it may cause chills and even raise body temperature.

3. Alcohol wiping

For children who are suitable for wiping with alcohol, they can use a towel soaked in 30% to 40% alcohol and gently wipe in the following direction:

Upper limb: one side of the armpit - outer side of the upper arm - arm - side chest - armpit - inner side of the upper arm - palm;

Lower limbs: one hip - outer thigh - instep - groin - inner thigh - groin - heel.

Be careful not to rub the child's abdomen, neck, chest area, and soles of the feet.

In addition, newborns and children under 1 year old have delicate skin and are not suitable for wiping with alcohol to avoid alcohol poisoning; Children with bleeding spots, bleeding tendencies, and leukemia should not use physical cooling methods such as alcohol wiping when they have a fever.

Fever is very common in children, and parents must learn how to deal with their children's fever, whether it is taking antipyretic medicine or physical cooling. If they find that their children have persistent fever, mental fatigue, breathing difficulties, and other abnormalities, they must seek medical attention in a timely manner.