Signs newborn has a fever

Fever in Babies and Newborns: What You Need to Know

From time to time, your little one will have a raised temperature and may be sick. Obviously, this isn’t fun for your baby, and it may be stressful for you as a parent, especially if you’re not sure what might be causing the fever. Find out what symptoms to look out for, what temperature is considered a high fever in babies, and what you can do to bring down your little one’s temperature and keep them comfortable.

What Is a Fever?

A fever is not an illness in and of itself; rather it’s a symptom of an underlying illness, typically an infection. This temporary rise in temperature is a sign that the body is fighting illness, stimulating the white blood cells that battle infection.

Small rises in body temperature aren’t considered true fevers and are usually not a cause for concern. A true fever is when the body temperature shoots out of the normal range. Keep reading to learn more about normal temperature ranges and fevers for babies and young children.

Normal Body Temperatures and Fevers for Newborns, Babies, and Toddlers

Normal body temperature varies for everyone—babies, toddlers, older kids, and even adults. Not only that, but everyone’s temperature is highest between the late afternoon and early evening, and the lowest between midnight and early morning.

Infants, babies, and toddlers have a higher normal body temperature than older children, adolescents, and adults. Moreover, a child’s temperature will be different depending on their age, what activity they’re doing at the moment, and the time of day. In fact, a newborn’s normal temperature can vary up to 1 degree Fahrenheit throughout the day.

If you take your baby’s temperature from the rectum, ear, or forehead (using a temporal artery thermometer), a reading of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher generally indicates a fever. Rectal temperature readings are considered the most accurate for infants, especially those under 3 months old.

For an axillary reading—one that’s taken from your baby’s armpit—99 degrees Fahrenheit or higher is often considered a fever. The cutoff temperature tends to be lower because underarm measurements are less accurate.

What Causes Fever in Babies?

Fever is a symptom that can occur with any type of infection. This is why part of treating a fever will always involve treating the root cause of it, too.

Your child’s fever could be caused by any of the following:

Ear infections
Common colds
Urinary tract infections
Throat or sinus infection
Intestinal (bowel) infections
RSV
Croup
Influenza (flu)
Pneumonia
Sepsis (blood infections)
Meningitis (brain and spinal cord infections).

Other Conditions Related to Fever in Babies

Teething, which starts for most babies at around 6 months old, may contribute to a small rise in your baby’s temperature, but teething isn’t usually the cause of a fever. (Learn more about the symptoms of teething.)

Immunizations. Infants and babies may get a spike in temperature after receiving routine vaccinations.

Heat-related illness or heatstroke is a rare but very serious condition in which surrounding heat, not infection or an internal condition, causes a sharp rise in body temperature. This problem can occur when a baby is in a hot environment such as a beach or an overheated car or when a baby is overdressed in hot, humid weather. Never leave a baby or child alone in a closed car, not even for a minute. If you think your child might have heatstroke, call 911 or take them to the emergency room.

Signs of a Fever in Babies

It may be difficult to tell if your baby has a fever. But if your baby looks or acts in a way that's out of the ordinary, and you think they may have a fever, it's a good idea to take their temperature. Keep in mind that a change in your baby’s behavior or activity level is often a better indicator of illness than how high the fever is.

The following signs, when paired with a fever, may indicate your baby is ill:

Change in behavior or activity level
Fussier than usual
Sleepier than usual
Warmer than usual
Appears flushed
Sweats more than usual
Thirstier than usual.

Be on the lookout for the following symptoms, which along with your baby’s fever are common signs of illness:

Earache
Sore throat
Rash
Stomachache.

How to Take Your Baby’s Temperature

If you suspect your baby has a fever, especially after noticing some of the signs above, it’s best to use a digital electronic thermometer to take their temperature. Using a digital pacifier thermometer or a fever strip, kissing their forehead, or simply placing the back of your hand on their forehead are not accurate ways to gauge a fever.

Follow the instructions included with the thermometer, as each product can work a bit differently, or ask your healthcare provider to show you how to take your little one’s temperature. Make sure not to leave your child unattended when taking their temperature and keep separate thermometers for rectal and oral readings.

The best location for taking your baby’s temperature depends on their age. Here are some guidelines for which method to use when taking your baby’s temperature:

0 to 3 months old. Take a rectal reading, which is considered the most accurate. Or, use a temporal artery thermometer, which is an infrared scanner that you pass over your baby’s forehead.
3 to 6 months old. Take a reading rectally or under the arm. You can also use a temporal artery thermometer.
6 months and older. This is the age where you can start taking your baby’s temperature using a digital ear (tympanic) thermometer. You can also continue taking a digital rectal reading with a digital thermometer or use a temporal artery thermometer. You’ll want to wait to take your child’s temperature orally until they’re 4 years old.

What to Do When Your Baby Has a Fever

When your baby has a fever, your first thought may be to bundle them up, especially if they also have the chills. However, this can make the fever worse. Don’t dress your child in extra clothes or cover them with a blanket—you want to encourage the heat to escape and the fever to go down, not up.

Here are ways to help lower your baby’s fever:

Cool the environment. Make sure your baby’s room is cool and comfortable. Consider setting up a fan to circulate cool air throughout the room.
Use lighter clothes. Dress your child in lightweight clothing. You want to encourage body heat to escape so that the temperature drops.
Give lots of fluids. Make sure your baby is getting plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. Keep breastfeeding or formula-feeding your baby under 6 months old. For babies older than 6 months, you can additionally offer water or an oral rehydration solution.
Encourage rest. Take every opportunity to encourage your child to rest until the fever has passed.
Provide medicine. Your child’s healthcare provider may recommend a fever-reducing medication. We cover this in detail in the next section.

If the fever is a result of a contagious condition such as the flu or chicken pox, it’s best to keep your baby away from other children, older people, and anyone with a weaker immune system.

Fever-Reducing Medications

A fever may not require medication unless your baby is uncomfortable. Ask your child’s healthcare provider whether fever-reducing medicine is needed or not, and carefully follow any dosage instructions. Always consult with the healthcare provider before giving any medication of any kind to a baby who is younger than 2 months.

Aspirin is not recommended for children as it may lead to a serious condition called Reye’s syndrome. You may give acetaminophen or ibuprofen to your little one after you’ve gotten the green light from their provider. Acetaminophen may be recommended if your baby is 3 months or older, and ibuprofen if they are 6 months or older.

When it comes to dosage, follow the instructions on the product labeling. Dosage is typically based on your baby’s weight along with age. Always use the measuring device that comes with the product rather than a household teaspoon.

When to Call Your Baby’s Healthcare Provider

Your baby's healthcare provider may have more specific advice on when to be in touch, but in general, you need to call the provider when your baby is

2 months old or younger and has a temperature of 100. 4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher (call immediately)
3 to 6 months old and has a temperature of 101 degrees Fahrenheit or higher
Older than 6 months and has a temperature of 103 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

Make sure to let your child’s healthcare provider know the exact reading and the method (rectally, across the forehead, under the arm, or in the ear) you used to take your baby’s temperature.

Contact your child’s provider immediately or seek emergency care if your baby’s fever lasts for more than 24 hours, or if your newborn or older baby has any combination of these symptoms in addition to a fever:

Vomiting
Diarrhea
Uncontrollable crying
Fussiness
Sluggishness
Blue lips, tongue, or nails
A bulging or sunken spot anywhere on the head
A stiff neck
Limpness
Trouble breathing
Drooling
Seizure (see more on febrile convulsions below)

Febrile Convulsions

Rarely, a fever can trigger what is called a febrile convulsion—a seizure that can happen in children between 6 months and 5 years. This type of seizure usually lasts for a few seconds or up to one minute.

Witnessing your child having a febrile convulsion might be one of the scariest things you can imagine, but rest assured that this type of seizure is almost always harmless.

These are the signs of a febrile convulsion:

Your child looks unusual, stiffens, twitches, and rolls their eyes
Your child is unresponsive or passes out
Your child vomits or urinates during the seizure
Your child’s skin looks darker than usual.

If your baby is having a febrile convulsion, take the following steps:

Lay them on the bed or floor, away from any objects that could hurt them
Place them on their side to prevent choking
Loosen the clothing around their neck and head
Watch for any trouble breathing, such as their face turning blue; call 911 immediately for any breathing problems
If the seizure lasts more than 15 minutes, call 911 immediately.

Here are additional cautions when your little one is having a febrile convulsion:

Don’t put anything in your baby's mouth
Don’t hold or restrain your baby
Don’t administer fever-reducing medication
Don’t place your baby in a cool or lukewarm bath.

If your baby has had a febrile convulsion, let their healthcare provider know as soon as you can so you can schedule a checkup.

The Bottom Line

A fever is a symptom of an underlying illness, an infection such as an ear infection, the flu, or even the common cold. The best way to treat a fever is to also treat the underlying condition. In most cases, however, home treatment that includes hydration and rest are the best ways to bring down a fever.

If your baby under 2 months of age has a fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, let their healthcare provider know immediately. Your baby’s healthcare provider will be able to diagnose the underlying cause of the fever and recommend treatment.

It’s natural to be uneasy when your baby has a fever, but with time and proper home care, your baby’s fever should subside. Always feel free to reach out to your child’s healthcare provider with any questions or concerns. Before long, your little one will be feeling better.

Fever (0-12 Months)

Is this your child's symptom?

An abnormal high body temperature
Fever is the only symptom. Your child has a true fever if:
Rectal (bottom), Ear or Forehead temperature: 100.4° F (38.0° C) or higher
Under the arm (armpit) temperature: 99° F (37.2° C) or higher
Caution: Ear temperatures are not accurate before 6 months of age
Caution: Forehead temperatures must be digital. Forehead strips are not accurate.

Causes of Fever

Overview. Almost all fevers are caused by a new infection. Viruses cause 10 times more infections than bacteria. The number of germs that cause an infection are in the hundreds. Only a few common ones will be listed.
Viral Infections. Colds, flu and other viral infections are the most common cause. Fever may be the only symptom for the first 24 hours. The start of viral symptoms (runny nose, cough, loose stools) is often delayed. Roseola is the most extreme example. Fever may be the only symptom for 3 to 5 days. Then a rash appears.
Bacterial Infections. A bladder infection is the most common cause of silent fever in girls.
Vaccine Fever. Fever with most vaccines begins within 12 hours. It lasts 2 to 3 days. This is normal and harmless. It means the vaccine is working.
Newborn Fever (Serious). Fever that occurs during the first 3 months of life can be serious. All of these babies need to be seen as soon as possible. The fever may be due to sepsis (a bloodstream infection). Bacterial infections in this age group can get worse quickly. They need rapid treatment.
Meningitis (Very Serious). A bacterial infection of the membrane that covers the spinal cord and brain. The main symptoms are a stiff neck, headache and confusion. Younger children are lethargic or so irritable that they can't be consoled. If not treated early, can suffer brain damage.
Overheated. The fever is usually low grade. Can occur during heat waves or from being overdressed. The temp becomes normal in a few hours after moving to a cooler place. Fever goes away quickly with rest and drinking extra fluids.
Not Due to Teething. Research shows that "getting teeth" does not cause fevers.

Fever and Crying

Fever on its own shouldn't cause much crying.
Frequent crying in a child with fever is caused by pain until proven otherwise.
Hidden causes can be ear infections, kidney infections, sore throats and meningitis.

Normal Temperature Range

Rectal. A reading of 98.6° F (37° C) is just the average rectal temp. A normal low can be 96.8° F (36° C) in the morning. It can change to a high of 100.3° F (37.9° C) late in the day. This is a normal range.

When to Call for Fever (0-12 Months)

Call 911 Now

Not moving
Can't wake up
Severe trouble breathing (struggling for each breath; can barely speak or cry)
Purple or blood-colored spots or dots on skin
You think your child has a life-threatening emergency

Call Doctor or Seek Care Now

Trouble breathing, but not severe
Great trouble swallowing fluids or spit
Fever in baby less than 12 weeks old. Caution: Do NOT give your baby any fever medicine before being seen.
Fever over 104° F (40° C)
Shaking chills (shivering) lasting more than 30 minutes
Nonstop crying or cries when touched or moved
Won't move an arm or leg normally
Dehydration suspected. No urine in over 8 hours, dark urine, very dry mouth and no tears.
Weak immune system. Examples are sickle cell disease, HIV, cancer, organ transplant, taking oral steroids.
Your child looks or acts very sick
You think your child needs to be seen, and the problem is urgent

Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours

Age 3-6 months old with fever
Age 6-12 months old with fever that lasts more than 24 hours. There are no other symptoms (such as cough or diarrhea).
Fever lasts more than 3 days
Fever returns after gone for more than 24 hours
You think your child needs to be seen, but the problem is not urgent

Contact Doctor During Office Hours

You have other questions or concerns

Self Care at Home

Fever with no other symptoms and your child acts mildly ill

Seattle Children's Urgent Care Locations

If your child’s illness or injury is life-threatening, call 911.

Bellevue
Everett
Federal Way
Seattle

Care Advice for Fever

What You Should Know About Fever:
- Having a fever means your child has a new infection.
- It's most likely caused by a virus.
- You may not know the cause of the fever until other symptoms develop. This may take 24 hours.
- For infants more than 3 months old, most fevers are good for sick children. They help the body fight infection.
- Use the ranges below to help put your child's level of fever into perspective:
- 100° - 102° F (37.8° - 39° C) Low grade fever: helpful, good range. Don't treat.
- 102° - 104° F (39 - 40° C) Average fever: helpful. Treat if causes discomfort.
- Over 104° F (40° C) High fever: causes discomfort, but harmless. Always treat.
- Over 106° F (41.1° C) Very high fever: important to bring it down. Rare to go this high.
- Over 108° F (42.3° C) Dangerous fever: fever itself can be harmful.
Treatment for All Fevers - Extra Fluids:
- Fluids alone can lower the fever. Reason: being well hydrated helps the body give off heat through the skin.
- For shivering (or the chills), give your child a blanket. Make them comfortable.
- Offer your child extra water or other fluids by mouth. Cold fluids are better. Until 6 months old, only give extra formula or breastmilk.
- For all children, dress in 1 layer of light weight clothing, unless shivering. Reason: also helps heat loss from the skin.
- For shivering (or the chills), give your child a blanket. Make them comfortable.
- Caution: if a baby under 1 year has a fever, never overdress or bundle up. Reason: Babies can get over-heated more easily than older children.
Fever Medicine:
- Caution: Do not give a baby under 3 months any fever medicine. Most of these babies will need to be seen.
- For fevers 100°-102° F (37.8° - 39°C), fever meds are not needed. Reason: fevers in this range help the body fight the infection. Fevers turn on the body's imune system. Fevers don't cause any discomfort.
Give an acetaminophen product (such as Tylenol).
Another choice is an ibuprofen product (such as Advil) if over 6 months old.
Goal of treatment: keep the fever at a helpful level. Most often, the fever meds lower the fever by 2° to 3° F (1 - 1. 5° C). They do not bring it down to normal. It takes 1 or 2 hours to see the effect.
Do not use aspirin. Reason: Risk of Reye syndrome, a rare but serious brain disease.
Do not use both acetaminophen and ibuprofen together. Reason: Not needed and a risk of giving too much.
Pain: fever does not cause pain. If your child also has pain, it's from the infection. It may be a sore throat or muscle pain. Treat the pain, if it's more than mild.
Return to Child Care:
- Your child can return to child care after the fever is gone. Your child should feel well enough to join in normal activities.
What to Expect:
- Most fevers with viral illnesses range between 101° and 104° F (38.4° and 40° C).
- They may last for 2 or 3 days.
- They are not harmful.
Call Your Doctor If:
- Your child looks or acts very sick
- Any serious symptoms occur such as trouble breathing
- Fever goes above 104° F (40° C)
- Any fever occurs if less than 12 weeks old
- Fever without other symptoms lasts more than 24 hours
- Fever lasts more than 3 days (72 hours)
- You think your child needs to be seen
- Your child becomes worse

And remember, contact your doctor if your child develops any of the 'Call Your Doctor' symptoms.

Disclaimer: this health information is for educational purposes only. You, the reader, assume full responsibility for how you choose to use it.

Last Reviewed: 11/24/2022

Last Revised: 09/18/2022

A high temperature in a newborn can be provoked by overheating. About caring for a child under one year old in a conversation with a pediatrician

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What symptoms of a baby should alert parents? Why does high temperature not always need to be lowered? What can parents' desire to dress their baby warmer lead to? Do I need to sterilize bottles and iron clothes? About this in a conversation with the head of the pediatric department for children under the age of one year of the Bobruisk City Children's Hospital Elena Sklyar.

Every year, on October 14, Mother's Day is celebrated in Belarus. WB has prepared material that may be of interest to all young mothers and mothers with experience.

Elena Sklyar, head of the pediatric department for children under one year old, Bobruisk City Children's Hospital.

A common mistake of young parents is to wrap up a child. Have any diseases become more common?

– The children didn't get sick anymore, and the illnesses are the same as before. If we talk about the pathologies of newborns, then in the first place - the pathology of the respiratory system, then the cardiovascular system, and some kind of congenital pathology.

In children born prematurely, the most common pathology is the respiratory system.

– What symptoms should tell new parents that something is wrong with their child?

- The first thing that parents of newborns should pay attention to is how the baby eats, whether he develops lethargy, regurgitation, vomiting.

Parents of children after the first month of life should be alerted by a sharp change in the state of health of the child: a sudden increase in temperature without previous cough, runny nose, sneezing. A sudden cough, especially at night, followed by lethargy in the child, so a false croup may appear.

All these are reasons to visit a pediatrician in a polyclinic or call an ambulance doctor. Be sure to call an ambulance in case of difficulty breathing and a sharply rising temperature in a child.

– What are the most common mistakes in child care that negatively affect his health?

- First of all, this concerns how parents dress their child, because it is generally accepted that if a child is small, he should be wrapped up. Pediatricians disagree.

dinomama.ru.

If the child is indoors, he must be dressed in a shirt and a bodysuit, if the mother really wants to, she can put more socks on the baby.

During walks in autumn and winter, the child should wear three-layer clothing: to the body - a cotton or linen blouse, then a bodysuit or light overalls, the third layer is a protective overalls or jacket with pants. Caps are now available with an internal coating. Such clothes will be quite enough for the baby.

In summer and spring, a diaper, a bodysuit, socks, a cap are enough - if desired.

- Elena Vladimirovna, what is worse for a child's health: overheating or hypothermia? And how can you determine by the baby that he is overheated or cold?

- Both are equally bad for a child's health, but in practice we often encounter overheating. After all, our mothers like to dress their babies warmer: a blouse, another blouse, a third blouse just in case, two hats, socks, and a bodysuit on top - this is of course a lot.

As for the symptoms, when overheated or hypothermic, the child becomes lethargic.

But cold hands and nose do not indicate that the child is cold, as this is also due to an unformed peripheral nervous system and insufficiently developed capillaries. Instead, you should look at the baby's cheeks and lips, if they are pink, then he is comfortable.

When overheated, the child's skin becomes hot, the temperature may rise to 38-38. 5 degrees, in such cases, in order for it to normalize, it is enough to turn the baby around.

An "overheated" child, due to the temperature difference between the environment and his own, may often get sick.

Elena Sklyar, head of the pediatric department for children under one year old, Bobruisk City Children's Hospital.

Due to bringing down the high temperature, the child may be ill longer

– One of the biggest fears of young parents is the child's high temperature. What kind of temperature is worth knocking down, and what is not worth it?

– What is temperature? If we talk about infectious pathology, temperature is the reaction of the body to the introduction of a foreign protein of a virus or bacteria. The body must fight this, and therefore the temperature rises. The body should not interfere with this.

Therefore, if a mother sees that her baby at a temperature of 38-38.5 is vigorous, cheerful, with a good appetite, then there is no need to lower this temperature during the day, because then the duration of the disease will increase two to two and a half times, and the disease will not proceed as simply as we would like. In this case, mom just needs to give him enough liquid.

But there are children for whom we recommend lowering such a temperature - these are babies who have a history of convulsive syndrome, pathology of the cardiovascular system, congenital pathology.

- Is it possible to bathe a child if his temperature is 37 - 37.5? Walk with him on the street?

- Here you need to understand what skin is for a child up to a year old. At this age, the skin for a child is a respiratory organ. If at a temperature of 37.5 we carefully wrap it up, then its heat transfer is disturbed and the temperature can rise even more.

If a child has a slight runny nose and a temperature of 37-37.3, but the baby feels well, then a walk on the street will not harm him. But if the child is ill, then of course, it is not worth going outside with him.

At a temperature not exceeding 37.5, you can bathe your baby. Sometimes it is even recommended for a baby to take a light shower at a temperature of 38, and then he will calmly endure the high temperature.

As for walking outside at a higher temperature, I would not advise doing this, because children have one amazing ability, they can both rapidly improve their well-being and worsen it.

But in any case, no matter how the baby behaves and feels, at an elevated temperature, he should be shown to the doctor so that the specialist can determine why it has risen.

Elena Sklyar, head of the pediatric department for children under one year old, Bobruisk city children's hospital.

It is necessary to harden a child from birth

- How long should you walk with a healthy baby on the street? Is it necessary to walk or can I put the stroller on the balcony?

- Walking is one of the main components of a good hardening of a child. In principle, it is considered so, for hardening a child, which should begin in the first year of his life, you need to walk with him on the street a lot and in almost any weather.

We recommend this: if the baby was born in the warm season, then you can go outside with him the next day after being discharged from the hospital, and if the baby was born in autumn or winter, then you should start walking when the outside temperature is not lower than minus 10- 15 degrees.

Of course, it's good when a mother walks with a child on the street, because the rocking of the cradle calms him, but if a woman is busy, then there is nothing wrong with walking on the balcony, loggia - no.

Photo from WB archive.

- How else can you strengthen the baby's immunity from birth?

– Raising a healthy child is not difficult at all, you just need to ask how to do it right.

If a mother breastfeeds her baby up to 5 months and monitors her own nutrition, if she instills it, then this will only have a positive effect on the child's health.

– What can be done for the health of a child during the season of diseases and viruses?

- Feed him properly, take him outside for walks, do wet cleaning at home, avoid going to crowded places.

If you follow these rules, the baby may not get sick until the age of one, but of course, this is if the family does not have an older child who goes to kindergarten.

No specific prophylaxis recommended.

– What medicines should be in the medicine cabinet where the child was born and grows?

- In a family with a newborn, the first aid kit should have skin care products, medicines for treating the umbilical wound (hydrogen peroxide, brilliant green solution).

When a child is one month old, the first-aid kit should be replenished with antipyretic drugs, a liquid solution of paracetamol is perfect for this.

The first aid kit will be replenished as the child grows.

It's not scary if a child wears a diaper at the age of two

– What is your attitude to the obligatory ironing of a baby's linen, sterilization of nipples and bottles, swaddling?

– Ironing of linen has an additional antibacterial effect, especially attention is paid to this at 3-6 months of a child’s life, but if the linen is well washed, if the child is clean, tidy, then there is no need to fanatically iron the linen.

For example, if the umbilical wound has healed, the baby's skin is fine, then it is enough to iron the diaper on one side.

Photo: Depositphotos.

Of course, teats and bottles must be clean. To do this, they must be washed with running water, poured over with boiling water and stored in a dry, clean container, covered with a napkin. The baby is provided with thrush if the nipple is kept in water.

As for swaddling, it's as you like, the only thing we do not recommend is swaddling children with a "soldier".

Swaddling also has no effect on the curvature of the legs, because it is more often associated with a violation of the mineral metabolism in a child, as well as with heredity.

- Can walking in diapers at two or three years old harm the health of a child? At what age should a baby no longer wear diapers?

- Physiologically, the child will stop using diapers when his sphincters, which hold the contents of the intestines and bladder, mature. This happens from 18 to 20 months, in girls earlier than in boys. And therefore, when a child wears a diaper at two years old, there is nothing terrible about it. By the age of three, children are usually potty trained. If this did not happen, then probably the parents were not very attentive to this issue.

- Some parents start traveling with their baby almost from birth, what is your attitude to this? When can you start traveling with a child, both within the country and abroad?

It is believed that before the age of 3 it is not worth taking the baby to another climatic zone. But if you are going to, then the minimum period of stay in another climatic zone is three weeks.

If a mother is going on such a journey, then she should know where she is going, what are the conditions of stay, whether there are milk formulas, how to provide food for the child. Mom should be prepared for the fact that the child can get sick there.

I know that many people travel abroad, but they scrupulously find out the conditions of stay. Our tourists, unfortunately, when they go, they don’t really delve into the conditions.

There are no age restrictions for traveling within Belarus. But we must remember that the baby in a large crowd of people begins to worry, behave differently. Parents should be prepared for this.

Children from 0 to 5 years. When should you urgently take your child to the doctor?

We are all very worried when a child gets sick; including the fear that he will certainly be sent to the hospital. And the children's hospital, as you know, is like this: you get in with one, you leave with another. That is why mothers often refuse hospitalization or postpone a visit to the doctor, hoping that the disease will recede on its own, others prefer online consultations on forums and advice from grandmothers and girlfriends.

Fortunately for all mothers, in most cases, modern medicine makes it possible to diagnose and provide the necessary assistance very quickly, resorting to hospitalization only as a last resort. Something like in the famous series with Hugh Laurie - and MRI, and all the necessary tests, and CT scans, and, most importantly, competent pediatricians and highly specialized specialists. Unfortunately, not all polyclinics have such a set, but in one place in Moscow they definitely have it - in the department of emergency pediatrics of the Federal State Autonomous Institution "NMIC for Children's Health" of the Ministry of Health of Russia, where doctors usually need no more than 2 hours to establish an accurate diagnosis, taking all the necessary analyzes and quickly receive their results, stabilize the child and send him home if there is no threat to life and indications for emergency hospitalization.

If you understand that your child needs a prompt consultation with a specialist, but for some reason you postpone the visit to the doctor, if you are afraid that the child will be immediately sent to the hospital ward “to clarify the diagnosis”, or he will not be given due Attention, just come to the pediatric emergency department of the Federal State Autonomous Institution "NMIC of Children's Health" of the Ministry of Health of Russia. Here they immediately do all the necessary research and provide the child with assistance as efficiently and quickly as possible. Every year, more than 3,000 children receive care in the department, and only 2% of them are hospitalized by doctors in a round-the-clock hospital. The rest are sent home after all the necessary procedures with appropriate recommendations, or will be observed for several days in a day hospital. The department accepts children without an appointment, works on CHI, VHI and on a commercial basis.

If your child is between 0 and 5 years old, do not neglect visits to the doctor because your child is at risk. It is this age that accounts for most of the serious diseases that are well studied by medicine, are well treated, but require prompt medical intervention. Tatyana Vladimirovna Kulichenko, Head of the Department of Emergency Pediatrics, FGAU "NMIC of Children's Health" of the Ministry of Health of Russia, Doctor of Medical Sciences, pediatrician of the highest category, WHO expert, spoke about the cases in which it is worth immediately contacting specialists for young children (we are talking about children first 5 years of life).

High temperature (fever)

First, it is important to define what a fever is from a doctor's point of view. Fever is an increase in body temperature greater than 38°C if measured rectally (preferred as this is the most reliable way to determine body temperature in any person) and greater than 37.5°C if measured axillary depression.

Not every fever is a very bad sign, but with children under three years old it is better to play it safe and see a doctor as soon as possible. There are no legislative "terms of patience"; there is no need to wait three days, as pediatricians usually say: all the most severe infections develop very quickly and can be threatening from the first hours of the illness. The sooner you contact a specialist, the better. Examination of the child, instrumental and laboratory studies will help to understand the cause of the fever and quickly stabilize the child's condition.

If just a high temperature seems to you not enough reason to see a doctor, then pay attention to the symptoms of intoxication:

The child refuses to drink (not to eat, namely to drink).
There is lethargy and drowsiness, it is difficult to establish eye contact with the child (some pediatricians say about such patients "the child looks into himself").

If a child develops a rash on the skin along with an increase in body temperature, then you should go to the doctor immediately.

Cough

Cough is a fairly common symptom in children. Precisely because it seems to be a common, “understandable” sign of illness, parents often miss the moment of timely visit to the doctor. Cough can be caused not only by problems with the organs of the respiratory system. It can signal a malfunction in the cardiovascular or digestive systems. It can even be caused by a sulfur plug in the ear. Until you eliminate the cause, the symptom will not disappear!

Take your child to the doctor immediately if:

The child is less than 6 months old (whether or not he has a fever or other symptoms).
The child has a nocturnal cough.
The child has a cough to vomit.
Cough persists for more than 3 weeks.
Barking cough, often accompanied by hoarseness and noisy breathing.

Difficulty breathing

Any difficulty in breathing can be a life-threatening symptom, especially in infants. How to understand that breathing is difficult in an infant: when inhaled, retraction is visible along the edge of the costal arch (the child, as it were, strongly draws in the stomach when breathing). Difficulty in breathing in older children can be noticed if there is no fluency of speech: the child cannot speak in long sentences (as a rule, these are obstructive bronchitis or asthmatic conditions).

Take your child to the doctor immediately if you notice signs of difficulty breathing, especially if the breath is grunting, groaning or you hear wheezing or whistling when breathing even from a distance.

Vomiting, diarrhea (diarrhea, loose stools)

These symptoms are often associated with simple and well-known conditions that are caused by extremely unpleasant, but in modern conditions, with proper treatment, non-life-threatening intestinal infections. But if the child is not fed with special solutions for rehydration, if the volume of fluid losses is not replenished correctly, then vomiting and liquefied stools are dangerous because they lead to rapid dehydration and electrolyte disturbances due to loss of water and salts.

It happens that loose stools are not a serious problem if it happened, for example, once. If you observe it more often 3 times a day, this is a reason to sound the alarm, especially if you notice the first signs of dehydration:

Decreased frequency and volume of urination. If your child has not peed for 5 hours, see a doctor immediately!
Dryness of the skin and mucous membranes: there are fewer tears, saliva, the skin has become dry and unusually flabby.
Thirst.

When to take the child to the doctor immediately:

The child refuses to drink (does not want to drink despite being very dehydrated).
The child stops urinating (break more than 5 hours).
The child is lethargic, capricious, not interested in toys (even if there is no temperature).
"Sink" eyes or fontanel (this is rare, but it is a formidable symptom).
There is blood in the stool (even if there is no diarrhea).

Skin rashes

Skin rashes are not always normal. If the rash is accompanied by fever, this is always a reason for urgent medical attention. There are children diagnosed with skin diseases (for example, atopic dermatitis or psoriasis), in which case the parents are usually already trained on how to behave when the rash increases or the skin process worsens. Then you need to go to the doctor if the measures taken previously recommended to you turn out to be ineffective - and you will most likely go to an allergist or dermatologist, i.e. to a specialist you know. But if the rash appeared for the first time, if the rashes are not associated with understandable provoking factors, this is an occasion to consult a doctor. Not all rashes are a sign of a serious illness, but a clear diagnosis by a specialist will calm you down and allow you to quickly deal with the problem.

Pain

Pain is always a symptom of anxiety, which the human body signals about danger. An intense and growing pain symptom is always a reason to consult a specialist. Remember that if a child is "teething" - this may be the cause of the child's capriciousness and irritability, but in the vast majority of cases it does not cause a temperature rise above 37.5 * C or severe pain. Therefore, you should not write off the symptoms that have appeared on teething.

How to understand that a child is in pain: