A series of mistakes parents often make when dealing with children with fever

Do not take fever reducer too soon

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Tien Dung, former head of the Department of Pediatrics, Bach Mai Hospital, said that fever is just a symptom, not a disease. This is the body's reaction when it is unfortunately infected with viruses, bacteria, parasites, malignant diseases...

If the fever does not cause the child to lose appetite or cause restlessness or discomfort, then leave it alone. The child's fever will go away naturally and most infections will heal quickly.

A child is considered to have a fever when it is above 37.5. From 37.5 - 38 degrees Celsius is considered a mild fever; moderate fever (38-39 degrees); high fever (39-40 degrees), very high when the fever is above 40 degrees Celsius. When measuring a child's temperature, it should be measured in the armpit for the highest accuracy.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Tien Dung

However, Associate Professor Dung noted that parents should not give their children fever-reducing medicine when the temperature is still below 38.5 degrees.

When your child has a mild fever of 37.5-38.5 degrees, just take off some clothes, give your child more water or breastfeed more.

When using fever-reducing medicine, the safest is paracetamol at a dose of 15mg/kg body weight, every 4-6 hours.

Absolutely do not let children use different types of fever-reducing drugs alternately, because each drug has a different dosage, different intervals between doses, and do not arbitrarily insert fever-reducing drugs into the child's rectum because this method of absorption is irregular, and if there is feces in the rectum, it will have little effect.

In case of forced rectally insertion of medication, do not break or insert 2-3 tablets at a time. In addition, do not apply oil or use patches because it can harm the child's skin.

In particular, Associate Professor Dung noted that parents should not abuse anti-epileptic drugs when their children have seizures because up to now, studies have shown that taking medication is not effective in reducing seizures if the child has a seizure-prone constitution.

Instead, when the child is having a seizure, do not give him anything to drink or do anything, because it can cause choking. Wait until the seizure is over, put a thin cloth between the child's teeth to prevent another seizure, then take the child to the hospital.

During a seizure, parents should hold the child at an angle, keeping the head straight to allow the mucus to flow out, avoiding choking. Do not stroke or massage the child's chest.

How to take care of a child with a fever

MSc. Nguyen Thi Thu Hang, Nursing Department, National Children's Hospital shared that when a child has a fever, it is necessary to keep the child in a well-ventilated room, avoid drafts, limit the number of people around, loosen the child's clothes and apply a warm compress to reduce the fever.

Preparation tools: 5 small towels with good water absorption; thermometer; basin of warm water (1/2 cold water + 1/2 warm water).

Before applying a warm compress, parents need to wash their hands, let the child lie on his or her back on the bed, and remove/loosen the child's clothes.

Warm compresses should be used on children instead of cold compresses.

Use a towel dipped in a basin of water, wring it out and wipe the baby's entire body, mainly on the forehead, armpits, groin, palms, and soles of the feet. You can place the towel on the baby's forehead, both armpits, and both groins.

When the towel is less warm, dip it back into the water, wring it out and repeat the above actions until the temperature drops.

Never apply cold compresses to children. Because cold compresses will cause blood vessels to constrict, pores to contract, preventing heat from escaping and the child will have a higher fever.

If the fever is caused by infection or pneumonia, cold compresses will make the illness worse, making the child susceptible to colds and pneumonia by increasing the ability to use oxygen.

When the water in the basin is no longer warm, replace the basin with another one or add more hot water, check the water temperature again and continue wiping the child's body.

Re-measure the child's body temperature every 15-30 minutes to check for changes in temperature. Stop applying the compress when the temperature is < 37.5 degrees Celsius. Dry the child and dress them in thin clothes.