Caring for children with fever

Parents should give their children plenty of water, eat enough meals, avoid wearing too many clothes, and use fever-reducing medicine in mild cases.

Common signs of fever in children include feeling hot when touching the body with hands, red cheeks and face, chills with sweating, fatigue...

Fever is a response of the immune system to help the body fight infection. However, not all infections have fever symptoms. Therefore, parents need to know what to do and what to avoid to handle the situation promptly when their child has a fever.

Should do

Drink plenty of water: Fever causes sweating which can dehydrate the child, so provide more water. Children under 6 months old need to drink breast milk or formula, children over 6 months old who are eating solid foods, in addition to milk can add fruit, drink water. Toddlers can supplement electrolytes if accompanied by diarrhea. Older children can eat ice cream, soup to increase vitamins and nutrients.

Eat enough meals: Children with fever may be less hungry and have a poor appetite than usual. However, parents need to ensure that their children eat enough meals and have a balanced, healthy diet. Eating enough nutrients can increase their ability to fight infections better. Liquid, easily digestible foods such as powder, porridge, soup, noodles, and pho noodles are suitable for children with fever. Meals should be divided into small portions throughout the day, about every 2-3 hours, and energy and protein can be gradually increased.

Breastfed babies should breastfeed more than usual. Weaned babies should have their porridge and rice porridge thinner than usual but still maintain the principle of having enough of the 4 food groups. Parents should use sprouted seeds (bean sprouts, corn sprouts, rice sprouts...) and dilute the food to increase the energy density of the baby's porridge and rice porridge.

Should be avoided

Wearing too many clothes: Your baby may feel cold when having a fever, but parents should not dress them too much or cover them with thick blankets. This prevents the body temperature from escaping, and the temperature can rise even higher.

Some suggestions to keep your baby comfortable include wearing light, breathable cotton clothing, not using extra blankets, and keeping the room at a comfortable temperature. If your baby is sweaty and hot, adults can use a cool, damp cloth on the forehead or back of the neck to help comfort them.

Parents should not cover their children with extra blankets when they have a fever and keep the room at a comfortable temperature. Photo: Freepik — Do not cover your child with extra blankets when they have a fever, keep the room at a comfortable temperature. Photo: Freepik

Taking medicine: When a child has a low fever, is alert and playful, parents should monitor their temperature and do not need to use fever-reducing medicine. Although a low fever is uncomfortable, it can be due to the body's natural immune response to eliminate pathogens and is usually not dangerous. Children with a higher fever need to take medicine as prescribed by a doctor.

Fever in young children is not a cause for concern, but parents need to know when their child is in danger and needs to go to the hospital promptly. This depends on the child's age, body temperature, how long the fever has lasted, and other accompanying symptoms.

However, the younger the child, the more worrisome the fever is. Hospitalization is recommended in cases such as infants under three months old with a fever of 38.5 degrees Celsius or higher, children 3-6 months old with a fever of 39 degrees Celsius or higher, and children over 6 months old with a fever of 39.5 degrees Celsius or higher.

The duration of the fever should also be noted. Children 3-12 months old should see a doctor if their body temperature is higher than 24 hours. Fever lasting two days or more with no signs of improvement in children 1-2 years old, lasting more than three days in children 2 years old and older, parents should take their children to the hospital.

If your baby has symptoms such as being more sleepy or fussy than usual, stiff neck, headache, severe diarrhea, difficulty breathing, persistent vomiting, or unexplained rash, you should see a doctor.

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