At what temperature do I have to take my baby to the doctor?
Healthy children have a body temperature of about 36.5°C to 37.5°C. Up to a temperature of 38.5°C one still speaks of an increased temperature. Only from a temperature higher than 38.5°C one speaks of real fever, from 39°C of high fever.Fever is a natural reaction of the body to an existing infection or other circumstances.
That is why a temperature increase of up to 38.5°C is absolutely tolerable. However, if the body temperature continues to rise, this can restrict some functions in the body and become a great burden. So one should try to lower the fever from 38.5°C.
Wet cloths in the form of forehead cloths or calf wraps are initially considered for this purpose. If this does not help, suppositories with antipyretic agents or the administration of Nurofen juice can also be used. Only if these first measures show no effect is a visit to the pediatrician recommended. A visit to the doctor is also advisable if the fever lasts longer than one day or if other symptoms such as diarrhoea or vomiting occur. A visit to the pediatrician is also strongly recommended in case of febrile convulsions due to an elevated body temperature.
At what point should I give the baby a suppository?
Do not reduce your baby’s fever too early with medication; small children in particular often tolerate high temperatures better than adults. It is not the temperature level that is decisive here, but the condition of your baby. If your baby is in a reduced general condition, suffers greatly, has pain or is unable to sleep due to the fever and is very restless, the use of medication is suitable to lower the fever.
In babies and toddlers, fever is often treated with fever suppositories or juices prescribed by the doctor. However, such medication does not treat the causes of the fever, only the symptoms. The most commonly prescribed pain-relieving and antipyretic agents for children weighing three kilograms or more are paracetamol or ibuprofen.
Your doctor will tell you when and how much of the medication is needed to reduce the fever. The most important thing here is the correct dosage for the respective age and body weight, depending on the individual case. Caution!
The antipyretic medication should not be administered for more than three days at a time. If your baby is suffering from febrile convulsions, it is important to break through the rapid rise in fever. The therapy of choice here is the early reduction of the fever with medication, for example with paracetamol.
