Question
Last night, my 3.5-year-old baby had a low fever of 38.8 degrees and I used a rectal suppository. This morning, after taking ibuprofen, by noon the fever rose to 39 degrees, so I used another rectal suppository. Around 3 PM, I gave him ibuprofen again, and in the evening, he drank anti-fever granules. Now his temperature is 37.7 degrees. Should I take him to the hospital?
Answer
Fever is a common symptom in children, but it’s important to determine the cause of the fever before implementing additional treatments. You can visit the local pediatric department for a re-examination, carefully check routine blood tests, closely observe for signs of viral or bacterial infection, take an X-ray to see if there is bronchitis or pneumonia, and test for myocardial enzymes to see if there is myocarditis. Identifying the cause of the fever allows for targeted medication treatment, which can be effective.