Babies’ resistance is not as good as adults, and fever and cold are common occurrences. Whenever I touch my baby’s forehead and it gets a bit hot, many mothers’ first reaction is to quickly take their baby to the hospital!!!
However, attentive mothers know that before taking their baby to the hospital, they should do the following three things well:
1. Measuring body temperature
What is the normal value of a baby’s body temperature?
Generally speaking, a baby’s body temperature between 36.0 ℃ and 37.3 ℃ is considered normal (underarm temperature).
In addition:
37.4-38 ℃ belongs to low heat;
38.1-39 ℃ belongs to moderate fever;
39.1-41 ℃ belongs to high heat;
Above 41 ℃ belongs to ultra-high heat.
Key point: Body temperature cannot reflect all problems!
If the baby’s body temperature is within the normal range or only has a low fever, but there are frequent crying, refusal to breastfeed, vomiting, diarrhea, poor mental state, etc., parents should also be aware that the baby may be sick and should promptly seek medical attention. (Follow the WeChat subscription account: Duo Mama’s Parent-child Time to chat about parent-child parenting)
What are the steps for taking a baby’s body temperature?
① Avoid taking your baby’s body temperature after breastfeeding, exercising, or taking a shower to avoid errors in the measured body temperature;
② First, verify the temperature value of the thermometer to see if the mercury column has returned to its original point;
③ Before measuring body temperature, wipe the baby’s armpit sweat dry to ensure that the skin under the armpit is in full contact with the thermometer probe;
④ The measurement time is 5 minutes, and do not let the baby eat or drink during the process.
What are the points to pay attention to when using a mercury thermometer?
Mercury thermometers have the advantages of accurate indication, high stability, no power supply, and low price. However, due to the fact that mercury thermometers are made of glass, once broken, the mercury in them will evaporate into the air in a short period of time, which may cause mercury poisoning.
Therefore, special attention should be paid to the use and storage of mercury thermometers. Conditional mothers can also choose electronic or infrared thermometers and learn the correct usage methods.
2. Taking antipyretic medication
The baby has a fever, and many mothers will send the baby to the hospital to register, queue up, have the doctor check, diagnose, prescribe medication, and finally give the baby anti fever medication… However, it will take at least an hour or so to make a fuss, how hard the baby has been enduring! Therefore, every mother needs to learn to scientifically administer fever reducing medication to their baby:
For babies over 3 months old, it is generally believed that antipyretic drugs such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen should be given to babies above 38.5 ℃.
★ Attention: For babies under 3 months old, parents should not take fever reducing medication on their own. They should seek medical attention in a timely manner.
In addition, mothers should know:
1. Antipyretic drugs usually take effect after half an hour. If the body temperature still does not drop after taking the medication, the baby should be promptly taken to see a doctor;
2. The function of antipyretic drugs is to lower the baby’s body temperature and alleviate discomfort, but it cannot eliminate the cause of fever in the baby. If the baby’s mental state is still not good after the fever has subsided, such as relatively dull reactions, dull eyes, eating, playing, sleeping, and other abnormal conditions, it is still necessary to take the baby to see a doctor in a timely manner.
3. Record the following information
When seeking medical treatment, if the mother can clearly describe the baby’s symptoms, the doctor can more accurately judge the baby’s condition. This requires the mother to record the following information before taking the baby to the doctor:
1. When did the baby start to have a fever, and how many degrees?
2. Have you taken any medication in the middle, and what is the dosage?
(It’s best to bring a medicine bottle)
3. What cooling measures have been used and what are the cooling effects?
4. Besides fever, what other symptoms and manifestations does the baby have?
(This includes whether there is coughing, runny nose, diarrhea, etc., and whether there are any abnormalities in breastfeeding, sleeping, playing, etc. Simply put, it is to describe any abnormalities in the baby.)
5. Bring the baby’s medical record and tell the doctor if the baby has any allergic reactions to medication.
Note that when describing symptoms, avoid using function words such as “very”, “very”, etc; Use more real words, such as when to start a fever, how many degrees, how many times you have had sex, how many medications you have taken, etc. (Follow the WeChat subscription account: Duo Mama’s Parent-child Time to chat about parent-child parenting)
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