Question

Over the past two days, the child has had a flushed face and a body temperature of around 37 degrees. Is this low fever due to a cold or indigestion?

Answer

The normal body temperature ranges between 36 to 37.4 degrees Celsius. Fever is usually a symptom of an infectious disease. When a child has a fever, it is crucial to conduct a thorough examination promptly to determine the cause and provide appropriate treatment. Typically, if the child’s temperature is below 38.5 degrees Celsius and they are in good spirits, without discomfort, or for infants under two months old, it should be cautious to use medication for fever reduction, physical methods of cooling can be adopted. Physical cooling methods include drinking plenty of water, removing excessive clothing, ensuring the child is in a cool (but not cold) and well-ventilated environment. Additionally, the following should be done:

  1. Drink more warm water, fruit juices, and green vegetable water.
  2. Place a fever-reducing patch on the forehead and use warm water to wipe (continue wiping the forehead, neck, armpits, groin areas where major blood vessels pass, and limbs for about 20 minutes). Medication for fever reduction is needed in the following situations:
  1. When the child’s temperature is below 38.5 degrees Celsius but shows signs of being listless, restless, or in pain.
  2. Fever higher than 39 degrees Celsius is considered high fever, which can easily cause seizures in children.
  3. For children under six months old with high fever, due to the rapid changes in the condition, timely medication for fever reduction should be used. When the body temperature exceeds 38.5 degrees Celsius, oral medication is required for treatment. Choose one of the two methods. If the fever recurs frequently, it can be used at intervals of 4 to 6 hours (cautiously