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Sep 5, 2023 · Does your child have a high fever? Learn the proper steps to identify a child's fever so you know how to respond and when to worry!
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What Is a Fever (High Temperature)? In general, a fever means the body’s temperature is 100.4°F (38°C) or higher. Different ways of measuring a temperature — rectal, armpit, ear, forehead, or mouth — get a slightly different number, so the number that means a child has a fever is a little different too.
- Symptoms of Fever in Children
- How to Measure A Child's Temperature
- When Should You Go to The Doctor?
- Causes of Fever in Children
- Why Do Children Get Fevers?
- How Common Is Fever in Children?
- How Is The Cause of Fever in Children Diagnosed?
- Are Further Tests needed?
- What to Do If A Child Has A Fever/High temperature?
- How to Manage A Fever
Typical symptoms of fever in children are: 1. A raised body temperature, measuring 38°C or higher. 2. Feeling hot to touch. 3. Feeling cold and shivery. 4. Looking pale. 5. Headache. 6. Tummy ache. 7. Red or flushed skin. 8. Feeling sick. The actual level of the temperature in fever is not a good guide to how severely ill a child is once they are o...
Forehead strip thermometers are not very accurate. Ideally you should use one of the following to measure your child's temperature: 1. Under 4 weeks old, with an electronic thermometer in the armpit. 2. Between 4 weeks and 5 years old: 2.1. With an electronic thermometer in the armpit. 2.2. With a chemical dot thermometer in the armpit. 2.3. With a...
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has produced guidelines aimed to help healthcare professionals assess children with fever. These can also be useful to parents. They look at the symptoms seen in children with fever and allocate them to categories of 'green', 'amber' and 'red'. They are shown in the table below. Green sym...
The most common causes of fever in children in the UK are viral infections. There are many other uncommon causes. Some of these will show other obvious signs. 1. Infections with viruses are the most common cause. Viral infections cause many common illnesses such as colds, coughs, flu, diarrhoea, etc. Sometimes viral infections can cause more seriou...
Fever is a part of the body's natural defences against infection. Fever is created by the immune system under the direction of a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus acts like a central heating thermostat. Fever happens when the hypothalamus sets the body temperature above its normal level. It does this in response to an infe...
Fever and feverish illness are very common in young children, particularly in those aged less than 5 years. Three to four out of every 10 parents of children aged less than 5 years say their child has had a fever in the past year. It is one of the most common reasons for a child being taken to the doctor. Fever is also the second most common reason...
The healthcare professional will try to work out why your child has a fever. This will usually include asking about your child's health and symptoms. Your child may need to be examined (a 'face-to-face' consultation). In this case it is most likely that your child's temperature, pulse and breathing will be checked. Your child will be checked for la...
Usually the healthcare professional who assesses your child will decide that no further tests are necessary. This is usually because there are no worrying signs in your child's condition and your doctor or nurse feels able to diagnose the infection, based on their training and experience. Occasionally, however, they are uncertain. 1. This may be be...
A child with a fever may look flushed and irritable and they may not feel like doing very much. To help your child you should: 1. Make your child comfortable - details below. 2. Check for signs of lack of fluid in the body (dehydration). 3. Check for signs of serious infection. 4. Keep your child off school or nursery until they are better. You do ...
The important things are to try to keep your child calm, reassured and comfortable. 1. Give plenty to drink. This helps to prevent a lack of fluid in the body (dehydration). You might find that a child is more willing to have a drink if they are not so irritable. So, if they are not keen to drink, it may help to give some paracetamol first. 2. Cool...
Apr 7, 2024 · A temperature of 38°C (100.4°F) or higher means a fever. See a health-care provider if your child has a fever that lasts for more than five days or if your child has a fever and is less than three months old.
Mar 3, 2016 · Dangerously high fevers (over 106 degrees Fahrenheit) can be caused by external heat exposure, such as being left in a hot car. They also can occur when a child has an underlying brain injury or tumor, causing the brain to function abnormally. How can I help?
May 7, 2022 · The average temperature has traditionally been defined as 98.6 F (37 C). A temperature taken using a mouth thermometer (oral temperature) that's 100 F (37.8 C) or higher is generally considered to be a fever. Depending on what's causing a fever, other fever signs and symptoms may include: Sweating. Chills and shivering.
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Sep 17, 2015 · For many parents, having a sick child with a fever is scary, especially when it spikes in the middle of the night. But a fever in your child may not mean everything you think it does.