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Do I need to lower the temperature? Temperature in a child: what to do? How to bring down a high and whether it is necessary to bring down a small temperature

A viral infection is usually accompanied by a fever - the first sign of the disease is an elevated body temperature. This indicates that your immunity has come to the defense of the body, and the high temperature contributes to an even better fight against the virus.

If during the illness there is a fever, then you have excellent immunity. It is undesirable to bring down the temperature up to 38.5 ⁰С, as this can reduce the protective function of the body.

A high temperature indicates that the child's body is successfully fighting the infection.

What are the degrees of fever?

Depending on body temperature, the following degrees of fever are distinguished:

  1. subfertile -37.2 - 38 degrees (we recommend reading:);
  2. febrile - 38 - 39.1 degrees;
  3. hyperthermic - from 39.1 and above.

For infants, the body temperature of 37-37.1⁰С is within the normal range (see also:). For children under 3 years old, it does not pose any danger. Hyperthermia can occur for various reasons:

  • the child screams and cries;
  • the baby overate;
  • because of colic;
  • the baby is hot;
  • the baby was bathed in hot water;
  • the baby is teething;
  • due to vaccination.

When do you need to bring down the temperature in a child? This should be done if it poses a threat to life and health. The hyperthermic degree of fever is very dangerous, especially when maintaining a high temperature (above 39⁰С) for quite a long time.

At the same time, the kidneys, nervous and cardiovascular systems experience a very large load. Fever contributes to the intensification of metabolic processes, because of which the water-salt balance is disturbed, the body is energetically depleted and quickly dehydrated. If a high temperature is maintained for a long time, this can provoke cerebral edema, increased blood viscosity, lowering blood pressure, or hypoxia.



 You only need to bring down a very high temperature, which has crossed the mark of 38-39 degrees

Bringing down the heat should begin if it is in the hyperthermic range. Young children, even at temperatures above 38.5 degrees, can feel normal and be active. In this case, you should not reduce it, just monitor the condition of the child. If the baby is not feeling well, then the fever must be reduced by any possible means.

Disadvantages of antipyretics

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When taking antipyretic drugs, there are a number of disadvantages:

  1. the production of interferon stops, due to which the fight against viruses occurs;
  2. there is a negative effect on the condition of the kidneys, heart, liver and stomach, complications may occur;
  3. allergies may occur in the form of urticaria, itching and swelling;
  4. there is a risk of not detecting pneumonia in time, which may be the result of an acute respiratory viral infection.

When is it necessary to reduce the temperature in a child?

Cases when the temperature is dangerous for the baby and needs to be brought down:

  • The temperature is above 39⁰С. This can happen with a bacterial, viral or fungal disease: SARS, otitis media, pharyngitis, stomatitis, measles, chickenpox, tonsillitis, meningitis and others. If you are in doubt about whether to lower the temperature, pay attention to how the baby is feeling and see if it continues to rise. When the child feels comfortable up to 39 ° C and drinks a lot of fluids, you can postpone taking medications for the time being. If the temperature rises sharply, give the medicine immediately.


 If the child is alert enough and does not refuse to drink plenty of fluids, medications can be delayed.
  • The temperature is above 38 ° C in infants, since children under one year old are at risk. During the heat, their metabolic processes are activated and the body is rapidly dehydrated, which can cause complications to the heart and nervous system. When, during a fever in young children, the temperature rises above 38.5 ° C, it is desirable to reduce it, however, in each individual case, only a doctor can make the right decision by conducting a visual examination.
  • The temperature is above 38 ° C in children prone to febrile convulsions - individual intolerance to high temperature. This is typical for children under the age of 6 years. At an older age, the nervous system becomes more formed, and convulsions no longer occur. In case of febrile convulsions, the child should be shown to a neurologist. If even a single convulsion occurs at elevated temperature, it is necessary to give the child an antipyretic drug (we recommend reading:).
  • It is difficult for the baby to breathe through the nose. Breathing the crumbs through the mouth leads to the drying of the mucosa and the rapid spread of the virus, which can enter the lower respiratory tract. During the heat, these processes occur more intensively. In addition, obstructed nasal breathing can lead to hypoxia. Lack of oxygen is very dangerous for the health of newborns.
  • With cardiological, neurological and pulmonary diseases. To prevent the occurrence of complications in the heart, central nervous system and respiratory organs, it is necessary to reduce the temperature above 38.5 ° C.

The temperature of 38 ° C in a child: to reduce or not?

If the child has a temperature of 38 ° C, should it be lowered? It all depends on how he feels. With some severe bacterial infections, as well as harmful influenza viruses, intoxication of the patient's body occurs. In this case, already at a temperature of 38 degrees, the baby's condition noticeably worsens: weakness, chills, headache and muscle pain appear. To improve his well-being and relieve fever, it is necessary to give the child an antipyretic drug. However, if the baby is in good health during a fever, it is better to do without medication.



 If a child has chills and a headache, it is better to resort to the help of antipyretic drugs.

In what cases should you sound the alarm?

The usual occurrence of fever should not alarm, however, in some cases, you should immediately call a doctor. This must be done in the following situations:

  1. during a fever, the baby has cold limbs, which is one of the signs of a preconvulsive state;
  2. the child has not reached the age of one, a rapidly increasing fever can lead to seizures;
  3. the baby became pale and very lethargic, there was a chill or even loss of consciousness;
  4. the temperature has exceeded 40 degrees;
  5. the body has lost most of the fluid with incessant diarrhea or vomiting;
  6. anxiety of the baby with fever, incessant crying;
  7. fever in the febrile range does not subside for more than 3 days.

Temperature after vaccination

Often the reaction to the vaccine is manifested in the form of a fever. You should not be afraid of this. During a fever, the body begins to produce the necessary antibodies - this means that the immune system came to the defense and began to fight the virus.

It is quite difficult to predict what kind of reaction to the vaccine should be expected: some people do not have it at all, some have a slight hyperthermia, while others have a very high one. This is influenced not only by the composition of the vaccine, but also by how purified it is. If the child had a hard time vaccinating, in the future it is better to get an expensive vaccine, but of good quality.

Quite often, hyperthermia is observed after such vaccinations:

  • from DTP;
  • from BCG;
  • from the CPC.

A reaction to the vaccine usually occurs within two days. With the introduction of a live vaccine, hyperthermia is observed within 7-10 days - such a reaction is considered normal.



 Some routine vaccinations can cause fever

Which temperature is not dangerous, and which one needs to be brought down:

  • As a rule, in the first 2-3 days after vaccination, a subfebrile degree of fever persists. It's not worth lowering it. Let the body develop the necessary antibodies for protection.
  • High hyperthermia within 39 degrees and the poor condition of the baby pose a danger to the child's body, so you should immediately call a doctor. In the meantime, it is necessary to give him an antipyretic drug: paracetamol or ibuprofen.
  • The highest fever can occur after DTP vaccination. This reaction gives whooping cough, which is part of the vaccine. In hot weather, the mark can reach 40 degrees. The situation is complicated by the fact that this fever does not go away within 3 days and is difficult to reduce. With such a reaction, it is desirable to make the next vaccine without pertussis.

In case of a severe reaction to the vaccine (high hyperthermia and deterioration of the neurological condition), the child is given a medical challenge. Vaccination is postponed for some time or not done at all.

Temperature reduction methods

There are methods to reduce fever without the use of drugs:

  1. It is necessary to remove all clothes from the baby (a slight temperature can be kept due to the fact that the child is dressed too warmly). The baby should be without a diaper, otherwise the presence of a diaper will only aggravate the situation.
  2. Wipe the baby's body with a swab dipped in warm water.
  3. Try to bathe the child for 10 minutes, dipping head first. Then, without wiping it, put it in a towel and take it to a ventilated room. It should be remembered that during bathing and rubbing, the temperature of the water and the child's body should differ by no more than one degree, otherwise there will be a risk of vasospasm. With the onset of chills during a fever, bathing and rubbing is prohibited!
  4. Give more liquid. Babies need to breastfeed more often. Older children are allowed to give slightly acidified water, as well as lime and raspberry decoction with honey. With sweating, the heat will subside. After the baby sweats without wiping, put dry clothes on him.
  5. If there is a need to give medicine, the use of paracetamol and ibuprofen is allowed. In addition to these drugs, children are not allowed to give anything, especially aspirin, which is prohibited by the World Health Organization.
  6. Sometimes even medicines do not bring relief, then you need to call an ambulance. As a last resort, doctors will give the child an injection to relieve the fever.
  7. At night, try to change your baby's clothes and, if possible, change bedding. Usually, a high temperature that does not subside for 6 days decreases at night, as a result of which sweat begins to be profusely released. In order to prevent hypothermia of the baby's body and the occurrence of possible complications, it is necessary to dress him in time in dry and clean clothes.

Summing up

What temperature can harm the child's body, and which one does not need to be brought down? Reduction is required in the following situations:

  • with hyperthermia above 39 degrees, regardless of the type of disease;
  • with a severe reaction to the vaccine;
  • preservation of hyperthermia for a long time, temperature that is difficult to reduce;
  • in the presence of febrile convulsions;
  • severe intoxication;
  • with difficulty breathing through the nose.

In all other cases, it is possible to get rid of fever without the use of antipyretics. To do this, it is recommended to give plenty of fluids, do not dress the baby too warmly, be in a ventilated room and do regular wet cleaning.

When we measure the temperature, and the thermometer shows its high readings (37.5, 38, 39 degrees, and sometimes even higher), we start to panic, our heart stops, fear and fussiness appear: we need to do something! Each person has his own threshold of panic: for some, a temperature of 37.2 degrees is already a disaster, while for others, even 39 does not frighten. However, everyone understands that an increase in body temperature does not occur by itself, some processes occur in the body, as a result of which the temperature deviates from the norm. Many people have questions: what temperature is considered high, should it be knocked down when giving antipyretic medicine to children? We will try to find answers to these and other questions in this article.

First of all, it should be remembered that high fever is not a separate disease, but only a symptom of some kind of pathology. At its core, an increase in body temperature is a reaction of the body to the penetration of an infection (viruses, bacteria, etc.) inside. Simply put, the body has detected infectious agents and put the immune system on full alert to fight the infection. The immune system begins to actively produce interferons (a special group of proteins) that are able to resist viruses and bacteria. The process of interferon production is accompanied by an increase in body temperature, which is a completely natural physiological process. For one organism, a temperature of 37.5 degrees is enough for a successful fight against infection, for another - 38, and for some - 39 is required. Judge for yourself: if the body itself raises the body temperature, then for some reason it needs it, right?

When do you need to bring down the temperature of an adult?

You should start bringing down the temperature only after the reason for its increase has been established: a viral infection, an allergic reaction, an inflammatory process in the joints or tissues, severe bleeding, etc. An increase in temperature is a positive signal that the body did not give up the infection, but began to fight it with all internal reserves.

Everyone knows that the normal value of body temperature in humans is 36.6 degrees. If the value on the thermometer briefly increased to 37.2 degrees without the appearance of other symptoms, then this is also within the normal range (but if you fix 37.2 for 2-3 days, then this is a reason to go to the doctor). A temperature of 37.5 and even 38 degrees is not high and requires only control of its changes (to ensure complete rest and plenty of fluids for the body), but with values ​​​​on the thermometer of 38.5 degrees and above, an antipyretic should be taken. At a value of 40 degrees, an ambulance should be called, since this condition can be very dangerous. When the temperature exceeds 41 degrees, hospitalization is necessary.

When to give antipyretic medicine to a child?

Usually, parents are extremely sensitive to any, even a slight increase in temperature in a child, and begin to give medication already when a value of 37 degrees is fixed on the thermometer. However, neither 37 nor 37.5 degrees are dangerous for a child: the body is fighting the infection and so far is coping on its own. But if the temperature gradually rises and passes the mark of 38, then the child should be given an antipyretic, otherwise the disease may drag on. If the child has diseases of the heart, lungs or nervous system, then measures should be taken already at 37.5-37.8 degrees.

You can often hear that parents feel sorry for the child, that he is suffering, crying, so it is better to immediately give him a magic antipyretic syrup and he will calm down. This approach is fundamentally wrong, because the child does not cry from the temperature, but from completely different symptoms (for example, a sore throat, stuffy nose, etc.). The body itself regulates its temperature and raises it in order to make it easier for it to cope with enemy agents, and you should not interfere in this fight without a good reason. Therefore, such actions of parents are not aimed at helping the child, but at complacency of the parents themselves. If you do not know what to do, it is better to seek help from a doctor.

How to bring down the heat?

So, you decided to take measures to bring down the temperature. The easiest way to do this is with antipyretics containing ibuprofen (Nurofen, Solpaflex, Ibuklin) or paracetamol (Flyukold, Coldrex, Solpadein, Panadol, Efferalgan). It is better not to use aspirin-based products (due to the large list of contraindications).

It is not worth bringing down a not very high temperature with antipyretic drugs, because your immune system will start to be lazy: in the future it will no longer effectively fight viral attacks and will wait for a magic pill from you every time. Adults are generally advised to drink antipyretics only in extreme cases, use herbal infusions for the longest possible time, drink more warm liquids, such as raspberry tea.

If you are not shivering, then you should not wrap yourself in two sweaters and walk at home in a hat - now your body does not need overheating at all, wear the clothes that you usually wear at home. In the room, it is important to ensure that the humidity is not lower than 60% (a humidifier will help you with this), and the temperature is not higher than 22°C. Wiping can be carried out - periodically moisten the armpits, elbow and popliteal fossae, neck. Definitely do not take a hot bath or go to the bath - it will only worsen your well-being.

In case of intense heat, drinking plenty of water is indicated. Plain clean drinking water or unsweetened compote is best. You should give up cola, lemonade, coffee, strong tea, completely eliminate alcohol.

Thus, do not be afraid of an increase in body temperature. Yes, this is an unpleasant symptom of an infection or inflammation in the body, but at the same time, it is a sign that your body has already entered the fight against the infection. Do not accustom your body to helping it with a pill at the slightest increase in the temperature on the thermometer, otherwise you will reduce its ability to fight viruses. This rule also applies to children - if you do not bring down the temperature of a child with a slight increase, then it will be easier for him to endure diseases in the future, the child's body will become more resistant to infections, and in its struggle will do without a significant increase in body temperature.

An urgent question that probably worries all parents is whether to shoot down, and when should it be done?

An increase in temperature is a typical symptom of any infectious disease. This is how the body produces the protein interferon - a substance that should defeat the disease. Thus, by bringing down the temperature, we prevent the immune system from coping with pathogens on its own, rendering the child a disservice. Only too high a temperature (39-39.5 degrees) begins to act on the body negatively, which means it is an indication for the use of antipyretics.

But each child suffers an increase in temperature individually: some babies may not feel much discomfort at 39 degrees, while others lose consciousness as soon as the thermometer mark rises to 37.5. This suggests that there is no rule that fits all.

It is not at all the thermometer readings that should force parents to give their child medication. You should focus on his general condition: weakness, tearfulness, severe headache, chills and difficulty in nasal breathing - signals that the temperature can be brought down.

Reminder for parents

Here are a few things to keep in mind to help you manage your panic and not overdo it with your cold or flu:

    By lowering the temperature, we reduce the body's natural resistance to infections, which means that in the future the child will be able to get sick even from a weak virus.

    Antipyretics with frequent use harm the stomach, kidneys and liver.

    When the temperature, in most cases, rises to a maximum of 39.5 degrees. This is not critical for the body, but most bacteria and viruses will surely die.

    You should not try to lower the temperature to 36.6. One or two degrees will be enough for the child to feel better.

    The high temperature usually lasts 2-3 days after the onset of the disease, after which SARS subsides. But if the child’s body does not produce enough interferon, or the parents start to bring down the temperature too early, the chances of a quick end to the disease are significantly reduced, and it can last up to 7 days. Hence the saying: "Treated influenza passes after 7 it, and untreated - in a week."


What antipyretics can be used?

If you still decide to use antipyretics, choose safe means. Ibuprofen and paracetamol are equally effective in reducing fever, but the former should be preferred if the fever is accompanied by pain.

In order not to harm the child's liver, paracetamol should be given to him for no longer than 2-3 days, strictly observing the daily rate corresponding to the age of the baby.

With ARVI, the temperature most often disappears after 3 days. If this does not happen, it can become a signal of the development of a serious illness (bacterial infection, pneumonia). Constantly bringing down the temperature, parents may not notice this important symptom, which threatens with serious consequences.

The fastest effect of the antipyretic will be if taken in solution. Candles act more slowly, but have a longer lasting effect. Young children are often given syrups diluted with milk or juice.

What can and cannot be done?

    Remember that you must allow the child's body to lose heat. Provide him with plenty of drink, make sure that the air temperature in the room does not rise above 20 degrees.

    The temperature of the drink should be equal to body temperature: this way the liquid will quickly enter the bloodstream and will not allow it to thicken.

    Do not use ice compresses and do not wrap the child in cold sheets: this way you will reduce the heat transfer and the formation of sweat, only lowering the temperature of the skin (but not the organs!)

    Do not rub your child's skin with alcohol or vinegar: in addition to the high temperature, you will also add alcohol or acid poisoning, which can be deadly.

Call a doctor immediately if, along with the temperature on the child's body; fever is accompanied by pain in the abdomen, nausea, vomiting; the temperature is not accompanied by other symptoms of a cold and does not decrease after taking an antipyretic.

Maria Nitkina