Skip to content

Fever in children: when to go to the pediatrician and when to the emergency room

Many times, fever can represent an alarm symptom for us, especially if it occurs in infants. Although on many occasions it is necessary to go to the emergency room or to the pediatrician to treat this discomfort, in other cases it can also be treated from home. For this reason, today we will talk about fever in children, as well as when it is advisable to go to the pediatrician or the emergency room, and when to treat it from home.

Why does the fever occur?

Fever occurs as a defense mechanism of our body, specifically the immune system . Which usually happens when said system “fights” or defends itself to keep us free from viruses or any other external agent that seeks to infiltrate our body and harm us.

So, instead of seeing fever as an alarm or danger signal, it is advisable to see it as a response that our body uses to protect itself. This, as long as said fever does not reach very high temperatures that can really endanger the life of those who are suffering from it.

In many cases, when the fever is not high, it is recommended to keep the infant as cool as possible, not wearing overly warm clothing but allowing it to cool down. It is also appropriate to make him drink fluids to avoid dehydration . It is important to be attentive to the child’s temperature, trying to take it with a thermometer several times during the day.

When can fever in children be treated at home?

Many times children can have a fever and continue with a normal behavior, eating well and without falling down, this can be interpreted as a good sign. However, it should not be forgotten that fever in children requires more care than fever in adults. This can be treated from home, as long as the scenario is similar to the following:

  • That the fever does not exceed 38ºC (because after 39ºC the fever is considered a high fever, and can represent a much more serious risk).
  • In case the fever goes down 2-3 days after presenting.
  • In the absence of alarming symptoms (drowsiness, vomiting, skin rashes, or respiratory problems).

When taking the temperature, it should be borne in mind that the thermometer may give slightly different results depending on the area from which it is taken. Generally, axillary temperature results tend to be lower than rectal. Thus, it can be considered that the infant has a fever when he manifests a temperature greater than 37.5ºC in the axillary area, or greater than 38ºC in the rectal area.

For its part, pediatric ibuprofen can contribute to the relief of discomfort. If the little one has a fever and manifests pain, discomfort or is down, then you can administer a medicine for the symptomatic treatment of fever indicated for children, as is the case of the Pediatric Nurofen range, which relieves fever and occasional pain mild and moderate in children from 3 months, with an effect of up to 8 hours. For children under 2 years of age, remember to always consult your doctor before administering any medication.

Read the directions for these medications and consult your pharmacist. Do not administer in case of gastroduodenal ulcer. Nurofen Pediatric is a drug from Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare, SA

When is it recommended to consult a pediatrician or go to the emergency room for fever in children?

In case the fever persists and the child’s discomfort worsens or remains the same, it is important not to let more time pass and take him to the pediatrician. It is also convenient to take it when one or more of the symptoms mentioned below appear:

  • If more than 2-3 days have passed and the fever worsens or does not improve, or any alarming symptoms of discomfort are still present.
  • In case the infant has drowsiness, respiratory problems or tends to get irritated easily.
  • In case of any skin reaction, such as red or black dots on the skin.

It should be noted that all these recommendations and observations are focused on infants older than 2 years. Since, in the case of children under 2 years of age, we should always consult the pediatrician before the appearance of fever and go to the emergency room if it is a child under 3 months of age.

Fever in children is not always dangerous, but it does require our attention

As has been seen and as mentioned before, fever is part of a natural reaction of our body to defend itself against viruses that want to affect it. Although many times it is not dangerous, it is important that we do not stop paying attention to it, especially if it is children who have a fever.

Try to carefully observe the symptoms that occur with the infant’s fever, take his temperature regularly, and if you see that it does not improve in a maximum period of 24 hours, consult the pediatrician. If the symptoms persist, and it has already been 2-3 days since the fever started, do not hesitate to go to the emergency room immediately.

Website | + posts

Hello Readers, I am Nikki Bella a Psychology student. I have always been concerned about human behavior and the mental processes that lead us to act and think the way we do. My collaboration as an editor in the psychology area of ​​Well Being Pole has allowed me to investigate further and expand my knowledge in the field of mental health; I have also acquired great knowledge about physical health and well-being, two fundamental bases that are directly related and are part of all mental health.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *