Understanding Fever in Children
By Min Chang-yeon, Health Correspondent
Fevers are a common occurrence in childhood, with most parents experiencing the worry that comes with a sick child. Seonhwa Seo, a pediatrician at Ulsan Hospital, emphasizes the importance of knowing when to seek medical attention for a child with a fever. According to Seo, the causes of fever can vary, from infections to inflammation, tumors, or other underlying health issues.
It is important for parents to understand when to use fever reducers, as they only alleviate the symptoms and do not treat the underlying cause. However, excessive use of these medications can lead to potential side effects. Additionally, the risk of dehydration increases in children with a fever, which makes it crucial for parents to ensure their child drinks enough water and gets adequate rest.
Seo provides guidelines for when it is necessary to seek pediatric treatment for febrile symptoms. These include infants under 3 months with a fever of 38°C or higher, children under 3 years with a fever of 38.9°C or higher, and instances of febrile convulsions, which are seizures associated with a fever above 38°C in children aged 6 to 60 months.
Parents should be vigilant when their child experiences febrile convulsions and take appropriate first aid measures, such as loosening the child’s clothing, removing hazardous objects from the vicinity, and preventing the child from biting their tongue during the seizure. It is recommended to seek medical attention if convulsions persist for more than 5 minutes or if the child experiences recurrent febrile convulsions.
In conclusion, febrile convulsions, although frightening for caregivers, usually have positive outcomes and a good prognosis. However, if a child experiences recurrent febrile convulsions, it is essential to consult a pediatrician for proper evaluation and treatment.
Seonhwa Seo, a pediatrician at Ulsan Hospital, treats a child patient. Provided by Ulsan Hospital
When a sick child comes to hospital, the medical staff first checks for fever. Fever is our body’s response to various situations, and everyone has experienced a fever at least once. However, fever symptoms in children are often considered more serious than those in adults when compared to fever symptoms in adults. There are questions I hear most often from guardians during medical treatment. “When should I give a fever reducer?” and “When should I come to the hospital?” The answer is different depending on the age and the situation, and although this is usually explained at length, we often recommend that you visit the hospital to keep it simple . Because that method is the safest. We hear more details about fever symptoms in children from Seo Seon-hwa, a pediatrician and pediatrician at Ulsan Hospital.
Causes of fever can be classified as ① infection ② inflammation ③ tumor ④ other.
The most common causes of fever and high fever are self-limiting viral infections such as colds and gastroenteritis, and simple bacterial infections such as otitis media, sore throat, and sinusitis.
The body temperature of children who are neurologically normal cannot exceed the fatal temperature of 41.7°C, except in very high temperature environments, malignant hyperthermia, or hyperthyroidism.
One of the biggest questions many parents have is, “When should I use fever reducers?” Antipyretics only relieve the symptoms of fever and do not treat the cause. Care needs to be taken as taking too many fever reducing measures can cause side effects.
If your child has a fever, the risk of dehydration increases, so it will be important to make sure your child drinks enough water and gets enough rest.
Circumstances in which pediatric treatment is required for febrile symptoms include: △ Infants under 3 months of age with a fever of 38℃ or higher △ Children over 3 months of age, △ Children under 3 years of age with a fever of 38℃ or higher for more than 3 days △ Children over 3 months old, If a child under 3 years old has a fever of 38.9 ℃ or higher △ If the child has a fever of 40 ℃ or higher (armpit temperature 39 ℃) regardless of age △ Children of any age with febrile convulsions △ Even if the fever is short-lived, it lasts for more than 7 days These include children of all ages who experience a recurrence, children of all ages with chronic diseases, children who develop new skin rashes with fever, and worried parents.
Febrile convulsions are seizures associated with a fever above 38 degrees Celsius in children aged 6 to 60 months. These seizures usually stop on their own within 5 minutes. Febrile convulsions are the most common convulsive diseases in childhood. It is one of the diseases that are often encountered during actual pediatric treatment. So, if a class in an elementary school usually has about 20 students, there is about one child in each class who suffered from febrile convulsions during childhood. In particular, it can be said that this is the most common disease among pediatric patients brought to the emergency room by ambulance 119. It usually occurs in 2 to 5 cases per 100 people. Specifically, in Japan, up to 8 cases per 100 people are reported.
Usually, when the fever rises suddenly, the child loses consciousness, the eyes turn slightly, the limbs crackle, tremble, and become stiff.
This embarrasses most guardians and ends up massaging the child’s arms and legs, which is not helpful for the child.
First aid for a child suffering from convulsions at home: First, loosen the child’s clothing so that he or she can breathe comfortably. △ Hazardous objects must be removed from the surrounding area to avoid injury. △ It is best to turn your head to the side or lay it on its side to prevent respiratory secretions or vomit contents from entering the airway. △You should refrain from holding a convulsing child tightly or massaging their arm or legs too much, as this can actually be harmful.
△Do not put your finger in the child’s mouth for fear of biting their tongue, as this can leave serious scars on the child’s mouth and the parent’s finger. △If convulsions continue, there is a risk of suffocation, so medicines such as antipyretics or anticonvulsants should not be given during convulsions. △If convulsions continue for more than 30 minutes or are repeated without recovery of consciousness, it can cause brain damage. Therefore, if convulsions continue for more than 5 minutes, it is best to take the child to the emergency room to identify and treat the cause of the convulsions.
In conclusion, febrile convulsions are a very common disease that causes extreme fear to caregivers. However, contrary to concerns, with the exception of some dangerous cases, most cases lead to positive results and the prognosis is good. As the ancients once said, “As you grow up, you naturally get better,” is the perfect expression for febrile convulsions.
When a febrile convulsion occurs, special care must be taken to ensure that the child does not injure a tooth during the convulsion or suffer secondary damage from trauma by hitting sharp, hard objects around the child. You are also advised to act knowing that convulsions do not stop with any artificial treatment and that they usually occur briefly, within 5 minutes.
However, in cases such as febrile convulsions in children, sudden situations can often occur when guardians become anxious and scared, so if symptoms occur, it is recommended to visit the nearest pediatrician and see a specialist.
If a child experiences febrile convulsions more than 3 times in 6 months or more than 4 times a year, they may have ‘recurrent febrile convulsions.’ In this case, the frequency of febrile convulsions can be reduced by prophylactic use of anticonvulsant drugs.
However, the use of anticonvulsants has side effects, so they must be used with caution. Due to the risk of side effects from continued use of anticonvulsants, it is advisable to visit a pediatrician unless there are special cases. Summary = Reporter Min Chang-yeon changyoni@
#Antipyretics #caused #bacterial #infections #cure #root
