What Should You Do If a Newborn Has a Fever?
Jul 29, 2021
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Ma Yan
Introduction
1. Offer frequent sips of warm water, which helps regulate body temperature and promotes fever reduction.
2. Perform a tepid sponge bath to dilate subcutaneous capillaries and facilitate heat dissipation.
3. Remove excess clothing—promptly undress the infant to prevent overheating.
4. Pharmacologic treatment: For newborns with a fever exceeding 38.5°C, administer appropriate antipyretic suppositories or oral antipyretics as directed.
Caring for a newborn can present parents with challenging situations—especially when the baby develops a fever, which often triggers significant anxiety and uncertainty about appropriate management. Parents should first perform an initial assessment of the infant’s fever to determine whether it is caused by environmental factors (e.g., overheating) or underlying illness. Next, they should select safe and effective methods to reduce fever. So, what should parents do when a newborn has a fever? Below, we address this question.
What to Do When a Newborn Has a Fever
1. Offer Warm Water Frequently
Water plays a key role in regulating body temperature. Giving the baby additional warm water helps replenish fluid loss, prevents dehydration, promotes sweating, and thereby aids in lowering body temperature. For exclusively breastfed infants, increasing feeding frequency appropriately can also help boost overall fluid intake.
2. Warm Water Sponge Bath
Prepare a basin of lukewarm water, soak a towel in it, then gently undress the baby and wipe their body with the damp towel. This helps dilate subcutaneous capillaries and facilitates heat dissipation. Additionally, as the water evaporates from the skin surface, it carries away heat, further assisting in reducing body temperature.
3. Remove Excess Clothing
If the baby is sweating profusely—particularly on the trunk, limbs, and extremities—it indicates that heat dissipation is needed. Promptly remove any unnecessary layers of clothing. You may place the baby in an air-conditioned room maintained at 25–27°C to allow gradual, comfortable reduction of body temperature. However, if the baby exhibits cold extremities or shivering, promptly cover them with a light blanket.
4. Pharmacologic Intervention
When a newborn’s temperature exceeds 38.5°C, antipyretic suppositories or medications may be administered—but only under the guidance of a physician or qualified healthcare professional. Caution is essential: newborns are highly vulnerable, and safe, evidence-based medication use is critical. Overuse of antipyretics may cause hepatic or renal injury; therefore, milder, safer traditional Chinese herbal preparations may be preferable when clinically appropriate.
The above outlines practical approaches to managing fever in newborns. We hope this information proves helpful.
