What Should You Do When Your Baby Has a Fever?
May 24, 2022
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Zhang Weiling
Introduction
Specific approaches to managing a baby’s fever include:
- **Hydration**: Encourage the baby to drink plenty of fluids to replenish lost body fluids—this is the most fundamental method for reducing fever.
- **Warm-water sponging**: This may be used to lower body temperature in children with high fever; however, it should be avoided in infants whose chest, abdomen, or other areas are highly sensitive to cold stimuli, as well as in children with rashes accompanied by fever.
- **Medication**: The decision to administer antipyretic drugs to a child must be guided by scientific evidence and professional medical advice.
Because infants have poor adaptability to the external environment and their immune systems are not yet fully developed, they are prone to fever. Specific management strategies include:
① Hydration
Offer the infant ample warm boiled water, vegetable water, or fruit juice. Increasing fluid intake helps replenish lost body fluids and is the most fundamental—and highly effective and practical—method for reducing fever, suitable for all febrile infants. Avoid giving cold water; instead, provide warm water, as fever in infants is often accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms and coughing, and cold water may exacerbate these associated symptoms.
② Tepid Sponge Bath
The water temperature should be maintained between 27°C and 37°C. Do not bathe the infant in hot water. Tepid sponge baths are appropriate for reducing high fever. The procedure involves gently wiping the infant’s entire body surface with water at approximately 32–34°C. Areas such as the chest and abdomen are highly sensitive to cold stimuli; therefore, avoid wiping these regions. Infants with rashes accompanying fever should not undergo tepid sponge baths.
③ Pharmacologic Treatment
Administration of antipyretic medications to children must be guided by scientific evidence. It is recommended that antipyretics be strictly avoided in infants under 2 months of age. For example, ibuprofen may be used for fever reduction in infants and young children, and also helps relieve mild headache, sore throat, and toothache caused by common colds or influenza. The recommended dose is 5–10 mg/kg per administration, repeated every 6–8 hours as needed, with a maximum of four doses within any 24-hour period.
