Question
What Should You Do If Your Child Keeps on Having a Fever?
Answer
Infants’ nervous system development is not yet complete, making them prone to high fevers or a quick return of body temperature after medication. Therefore, parents should have a basic understanding. In addition to following medical instructions for treatment and caring for the sick child, parents should also learn and master some necessary knowledge for identifying diseases.
- Pay attention to your child’s mental state. If the fever is high but the child is still in good spirits, able to laugh and play after taking medication, and behaves similarly to usual, it indicates that the child’s condition is not severe and can be safely treated at home. If the child appears listless, tired, and unresponsive, it suggests a serious condition and immediate hospitalization is needed.
- Observe your child’s complexion. If their face is normal or flushed, you can rest assured about home care; however, if their face appears pale, yellow, blue, or purple, with a dazed look, it indicates a severe condition and hospitalization is required.
- Look out for severe,projectile vomiting, which may indicate intracranial disease and requires hospitalization.
- Inspect for rashes on the skin; if present, it may suggest an infectious disease or drug allergy; check if the skin is purple or cool to the touch, which may indicate circulatory failure. Both situations necessitate a visit to the hospital.
- Monitor for abdominal pain and purulent or bloody stools; abdominal pain that does not improve with gentle rubbing may indicate acute abdominal conditions, while purulent or bloody stools may suggest diseases like dysentery. In both cases, hospitalization is necessary.