Increased body temperature is a sign of a general malaise of the body, while not necessarily the presence of an inflammatory process. Perhaps the child is simply overtired. In what case and what kind of antipyretic should be given? It all depends on the age and the specific situation. You always need to consult a specialist who will prescribe therapy for the child.
When to bring down the temperature?
The most common cause of a fever is the common cold and its varieties. A high temperature is a sign that the body is actively fighting the pathogen. Often, having overheated one day, the child wakes up in good condition and practically he althy. This may be during the teething period of the baby.
Safe for body systems is considered a temperature of up to 38.5 ˚С, if the child does not suffer from seizures or epilepsy. As soon as the indicator exceeds this level, it is recommended to measure it within half an hour, if there is no fall, you need to drinkantipyretic.
If a child does not tolerate heat well, it can be knocked down much earlier, this is especially true with complex treatment. In this case, it is not a necessary element to defeat the causative agent of malaise, drugs will cope with the temperature. Antipyretics at high temperatures in children are necessary to avoid complications and comfortable transfer of the disease.
What temperature to bring down in a baby?
For newborns and in the first month of life, a temperature of up to 37.5 ˚С is considered the norm, if the child sleeps well, eats, and does not worry. Often such a change is associated with a lack of milk in the mother or overwrapping of the crumbs. It is important to know that newborns have an accelerated metabolism: where an adult is warm, they are hot. And young mothers, due to the general weakness of the body, feel chilly and think that the baby is also cold.
After vaccinations, the same temperature is considered the boundary at which you need to use an antipyretic. In a medical institution, they always advise on precautions during this period: they often prescribe the drug half an hour after the procedure, even without measuring the temperature. During this period, frequent breastfeeding is recommended.
Temperature 38, 5 ˚C is also considered a milestone for babies. If the child is hot, but there are no visible reasons for this, a doctor's call is mandatory. In newborns, ears become easily inflamed: they should not be disturbed after bathing with cotton swabs, thus an infection is introduced, blotting with a towel is enough.
Antipyretic candles
For children up to a year, it is most convenient to use candles. Thanks to this form, all the necessary dosage enters the body and is absorbed as quickly as possible. A huge advantage of antipyretic suppositories for children is the possibility of introducing them during sleep. This is a very important indicator when choosing a drug, even for older children. When they are sick, they are very capricious and refuse to take even sweet syrups, and you don’t want to wake them up at night to take the drug.
Due to the high temperature, some children have frequent and loose stools, in which case the use of candles is impossible. An antipyretic syrup for children will help, it is suitable from 3 months and even for adults, depending on the composition of the medication.
Candles can be based on the usual paracetamol and ibuprofen, herbal remedies and immunomodulatory ingredients. The latter do not have an antipyretic effect, they stimulate the body to produce antibodies to fight the pathogen. Their advantage is the possibility and safety of taking at a very low temperature, when there are first signs of the disease. With immunomodulators, the disease will pass with minimal discomfort.
Antipyretic syrups
After a year, not all children easily tolerate the procedure for the introduction of candles. What antipyretics can be given to children of this age? During this period, syrups will come to the aid of parents. The vast majority of suspensions are flavored with fruit flavors. Parents of children with diathesis are afraid of such drugs. In fact, the composition of antipyretic syrups is notposes a risk to allergy sufferers. Sweet suspensions are easier to give to capricious children in case of illness.
Bottles come with a measuring spoon or a syringe - this factor can also be decisive when choosing. Taking the drug through a syringe is more convenient, it is impossible to spill and transfuse the syrup.
The composition of antipyretics for a child is different:
- paracetamol;
- ibuprofen;
- paracetamol + ibuprofen;
- vegetable.
Ibuprofen additionally has an anti-inflammatory effect, which is its main advantage over its competitor. The next plus is that the drug lasts up to eight hours. However, pediatricians are more confident about paracetamol-based drugs, whose effectiveness and safety have been proven by time. Their action is only four hours. Complex drugs are more effective and preferred if they have not previously been tested in the case of "single drugs".
Herbal anti-inflammatory syrups can be taken at the first sign of a cold, when there is no swollen lymph nodes. Their action does not have an antipyretic effect, but at a slight temperature, their intake will help the body cope with the causative agent of the disease.
Antipyretic pills
The advantage of the tablet form of antipyretics is their price and the absence of additives. However, their reception is inconvenient for children under five years of age, only after this age the child is able to swallow the pills. But even older patients can refuse this.
Tablets are recommended from the age of three, but before use they must be crushed and dissolved to a homogeneous consistency, which is not easy and inconvenient. Pediatricians allow taking a quarter of "Paracetamol" - a good antipyretic for children, which should always be in the medicine cabinet in case the preferred forms of release are not available for one reason or another.
"Paracetamol" is the only pill that is allowed for use in young children. Manufacturers of other antipyretic drugs do not recommend tablet form for babies.
The absence of flavorings in the composition can be an advantage, as a capricious child during illness sometimes refuses sweet syrups. Taste buds are sharpened, and a strong taste can cause disgust and vomiting.
Which release form to choose?
It is important to know that antipyretics at a temperature in children do not have a therapeutic effect. So what is the best thing to give a child in the heat? Or should you stop taking medication altogether? Each case requires an individual approach, it all depends on the situation and the general recommendations of the pediatrician in relation to a particular patient.
At home, parents decide what kind of antipyretic to give the child. In a hospital hospital, doctors prescribe injections to patients of all age categories, because they are in the institution's cost estimate. Injections are unpleasant, all children are afraid of them, but they are much more effective than any other form of antipyretic. If notdesire to inject additional drugs, the parent has the right to refuse the procedure by asking the doctor to replace the treatment. At the same time, medicines will be purchased at our own expense, so it is prudent to take your antipyretic to the hospital.
Overview of drugs
Consider the widespread antipyretics for fever in children. According to their composition, they can be divided into groups:
- "Paracetamol" and analogues: "Efferalgan", "Kalpol", "Dolomol", "Ferveks", "Dofalgan", "Cefekon", "Motrin". Contraindications to taking drugs: individual intolerance, kidney and liver diseases, blood diseases. Possible side effects in the form of an allergic reaction, nausea, vomiting.
- "Ibuprofen" and analogues: "Nurofen", "Ibufen". Contraindications: individual intolerance, bronchial asthma, rhinitis, indigestion, kidney and liver failure. Adverse reactions of the body in the form of nausea, vomiting, headache, urticaria, tachycardia are extremely rare, with a general weakness and predisposition of the body to such complications.
- Complex: "Ibuklin", "Brustan".
- Vegetables: Viburkol, Tylenol, Minduzal. Contraindication - high allergic child. The same item is listed in the instructions as a side effect. Of course, in the first-aid kit of young parents, in addition to antipyretic drugs, there should beantihistamines, in which case it will not be scary to try a highly effective, but allergenic remedy.
- Alternative: "Papaverine", "Nimesulide". They are prescribed only by a doctor in difficult cases with a stable temperature. Side effects: drowsiness, constipation. Contraindications: age under 3 months, renal failure.
- Injectable: drugs for intramuscular injection as prescribed by a doctor in cases where the temperature does not drop from other means.
If one of the drugs is ineffective within half an hour, you can use a medication from another group, different in composition. For an allergic reaction, an age-recommended antihistamine should be given.
Parent reviews
Some parents note that after vaccination they put Nurofen antipyretic suppositories on their babies for half an hour. Unfortunately, they did not live up to expectations: they caused irritation and came back naturally, without having time to dissolve and resolve. Another thing with the syrup of the same brand. The kids enjoyed drinking it. The temperature dropped quickly and did not rise.
Many parents admit that their children, even at the age of five, do not know how to take pills, so medicines are bought in the form of syrups. Others note that due to the characteristics of the baby's body, only the complex "Ibuklin" helps to cope with the fever.
For someone, Viburkol candles have become a real salvation during the teething of a child. In addition to the analgesic effect, they have a calming andanti-inflammatory action. It is very convenient to introduce a candle to a sleeping baby.
Some parents note that Fervex powder turned out to be the best antipyretic for children from 6 years old. It has a pleasant taste and aroma.
All antipyretics for a child have both positive and negative reviews. Do not pay attention to them, because each organism is individual and reacts differently to treatment. Only after trying the medicine, you can choose the best drug for the child.
When to call a doctor?
For children under one year old, when the temperature rises, calling a doctor at home is considered the norm. The crumbs still cannot talk about their anxiety, and parents cannot understand what is the cause of the temperature, a professional look is needed. In babies under one year old, fever can occur due to a number of reasons: inflammation of the auricle or throat, indigestion, teething, stomatitis, infection of the genital organs, overheating.
Often, parents refer to teething as the baby is active and happy during the day. You should not be so frivolous about the he alth of the baby, a complicated disease will have to be treated much longer. Inflammation can cover a larger number of tissues and organs with untimely treatment. Antipyretic drugs give only a symptomatic effect, without additional medicines they can be used for no more than three days.
Antipyretics for high fever can be given to children without prescription. For babies up to a year, one is allowedhot day without medical supervision, older children can take drugs without prescription for up to three days.
Other fever help
First aid in case of heat - drink plenty of water and humidify the air in the room. Frequent airing and wet cleaning is the key to a quick recovery. You can drink any liquid that the child prefers. Of course, vitamin decoctions and infusions of wild rose, chamomile, thyme, lemon are preferable. For babies up to a year old, you should not introduce a new product during a period of temperature, so it’s good if the baby gets acquainted with useful herbs in advance, but according to age and quantitative restrictions.
Sleep is the best medicine for sickness. But the heat and pain deprive the child of comfortable sleep. Before laying in the crib, it is imperative to take the temperature. In case of fever during sleep, you need to have antipyretic candles on hand so as not to wake the child. In case of illness, you should not play noisy active games, a calm environment is preferable so that the baby can fall asleep at any time. Older children also need extra sleep when they are sick, but resist with all their might. In this case, you may have to lie down and take a nap together.
Parental love and care are also significant factors for recovery, but it is important not to overdo it with the amount of medication. Do not trust advertisements, the best adviser when a child has a fever is a doctor.
At what temperature to give an antipyretic to a child, the parent decidesdepending on the well-being of a small patient. Everyone tolerates temperature differently, but general recommendations do not allow exceeding 38.5 ˚С. The most effective drugs, depending on age, are obvious, but again individual preferences are possible. A good antipyretic for children is selected by each parent independently, according to general indications and contraindications, although it is better if a doctor does this. The doctor, having studied the history, will be able to choose therapy according to the condition of the child, and if he is allergic, you will have to take additional tests so as not to put the baby’s life at risk.
