Question
A 5-year-old girl has been feeling progressively uncomfortable, and it’s unclear what’s wrong. She seems lackluster. What is the normal body temperature for newborns?
Answer
In clinical diagnosis, methods to measure body temperature include oral temperature, rectal temperature, and armpit temperature. For newborns, the armpit temperature is used as the baseline, with a normal range of 36~37 degrees. Newborns have greater body temperature fluctuations; the lowest temperature is usually in the morning and the highest in the evening. When a child has a low fever, parents can use a cold towel to apply cold compresses to the child’s forehead to reduce body temperature. Lastly, during the treatment period, patients need to have a regulated diet, maintain a regular lifestyle, actively participate in physical exercise, adjust physical and mental health, and maintain personal hygiene to avoid bacterial invasion due to decreased resistance.