Question
The baby, who is four and a half months old, started running a fever yesterday and has been feverish for four days now. Although the child has seen a doctor and taken medication, the fever dropped slightly this morning but began to rise again in the afternoon. The current body temperature is now 39.2 degrees. What should I do?
Answer
A four-month-old baby with a body temperature of 39 degrees is considered to have a high fever, usually caused by a viral infection. At this point, you can first give antipyretics like acetaminophen and accompany it with physical cooling methods, such as wiping the body with lukewarm water. If the baby’s mental state is good and there is a downward trend in body temperature, you can first observe and continue to take oral antipyretics. However, if the baby continues to have a persistent high fever or poor mental state, you should seek medical attention immediately to rule out other possible infections and obtain professional medical advice.