Infant fever
Babies and infants get fever much more often than adults. In case of slight infections the body may react by raising the temperature. Fever is a symptom and not an illness.
First of all, raising the temperature is a natural protective mechanism of the body’s own defence system. In this way, the body tries to take action against the inflammatory pathogens as part of an incipient infection. Many bacteria and viruses cannot multiply and spread as quickly at an elevated body temperature as at normal temperatures.
In babies, the normal body temperature is between 36.5 and 37.5 ° C. With values between 37.5 and 38.5 ° C doctors speak of elevated temperatures (subfebrile). Only from a body temperature of 38.5 ° C is one speaks of fever. If a very high fever develops, above 39° C, important bodily functions are strongly influenced and a great strain is placed on the body.
It is often possible to tell whether a baby has a fever from its behaviour and external appearance. Usually the baby stands out due to increased sweating and a reddened face. The eyes look tired, can be a little cloudy and the skin looks rather cool and pale.In addition, the babies can appear very worn out and dazed, or on the contrary, they can become very restless and whiny.
Parents should definitely present their baby to a pediatrician if the baby refuses more than two meals, a skin rash develops, the baby vomits several times or gets diarrhea, a change in consciousness is noticeable, a body temperature of 39° C is reached and antipyretic agents such as suppositories or juices do not alleviate the symptoms. Babies and infants should avoid using acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) to reduce fever, as this can lead to serious complications in babies and infants. There are several causes for the development of fever in babies.
The most common are inflammation of the ears, coughing and sore throat as part of an infection of the respiratory tract or slight infections of the stomach and intestinal tract. In a few cases, the cause is a serious illness, such as inflammation of the meninges, severe disorders of the body’s metabolism, defects of the body’s immune system or even blood poisoning. Above all, care must be taken to ensure that the baby continues to drink enough. During fever, babies in particular are at great risk of losing fluid, as they have a large body surface area and can lose a lot of fluid through this in the form of sweating.