Not all parents know how to reduce fever for a 3-year-old child. Even in some cases, parents should not reduce fever for babies.
How do I know if my baby has a fever?
Kiss or touch your child's forehead. If you feel hotter than usual, your baby already has a fever. Fever is often a sign that the body is waging a war against the infection. You should check with a thermometer to see if your baby has a fever.
Most doctors agree that the normal body temperature for a healthy child is between 36 and 38 degrees Celsius. If your baby's temperature is above this, he or she will have a fever.
If fever is a way to prevent infection, should you lower it?
Fever is the body's way of fighting bacteria and viruses, and some researchers suggest that an elevated temperature may help the body fight infections more effectively.
Bacteria and viruses like the environment around 37 degrees Celsius. A fever also allows the body to produce many white blood cells and antibodies to fight infection.
However, if the fever is too high, the baby will be upset, not want to eat, drink, sleep. Therefore, it is difficult for the baby to recover.
If the fever doesn't interfere with your baby's performance, you won't need to lower the fever. Just give your baby plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. In addition, do not give your baby much care when fever.
If your baby has a fever from wearing a lot of clothes, is hot or active, just cool down by taking off some clothes. Let your baby rest or play gently in a cool place.
How to reduce fever for children 3 years old
Take a warm bath
You can reduce your baby's fever by using a warm towel, not using cold water. Or you can give your baby a warm bath.
Do not lower your baby's fever by rubbing alcohol . Alcohol can be absorbed into the bloodstream through the skin. Alcohol can also cool your baby down quickly, but it actually increases the baby's body temperature.
Antipyretic drugs safe for children 3 years old
Be very careful when administering medication to your child. Each baby with a different weight will need a different dose. You are only allowed to give your baby the correct dose.
You can give your baby acetaminophen every 4 hours (up to 5 times a day) and ibuprofen every 6 hours up to 4 times a day). Absolutely do not give aspirin to your baby. Aspirin can make children more susceptible to Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disorder.
Most doctors do not recommend over-the-counter cough and cold preparations for young children. But if your child is taking prescription medication, talk to the doctor before giving your child any other medicine, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
Cough and cold remedies may already contain these products, so you risk giving your child too much.
Take your baby to the doctor
You will need to take your baby to the doctor if the baby's temperature is higher than 39.4 degrees Celsius and has symptoms such as loss of appetite, cough, earache, unusual irritability or drowsiness, vomiting and diarrhea.
If your baby is still drinking water and doing normal activities, there is no need to call the doctor. Since fever is often the first symptom of illness, the doctor may not be able to detect the illness if your baby arrives at the hospital too soon.
Depending on how uncomfortable your child is, your child's doctor may give him acetaminophen or ibuprofen to reduce the fever. If your baby has symptoms that suggest a serious illness or infection, your doctor will run tests or go to the emergency room.
What should you do if your child has a febrile convulsion?
Fever can sometimes cause convulsions in infants and young children. They are most common in children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years.
Babies may roll their eyes, drool or vomit. Your baby's limbs may be stiff and his body may twitch. Most high fever convulsions are harmless. However, seizures are still very dangerous and need proper first aid .
Fever is the body's normal response to fighting bacteria and viruses. So parents need to know how to reduce fever for 3-year-olds to help children lessen their discomfort but still do not lose the body's defenses.
See more:
9 Safe and effective ways to reduce fever at home for babies, mothers should remember!
When the baby has a fever - How quickly can I help my baby reduce the fever?
Critical of paracetamol overdose - A lesson to alert parents when reducing fever for their children