The First Fever: What To Do When The Fever Comes

There is nothing more disturbing than when our baby experiences the first fever. The first fever , which reaches 40 degrees, is a complicated situation to face. It floods our minds with uncertainty and worries, leaving very little room for anything else.

When this occurs, it becomes a priority to seek medical attention. Emotional support is also important as it helps us to respond effectively to the situation and prevent catastrophic results.

Anxiety due to the first fever is inevitable

It is natural and completely understandable for parents to become emotionally and physically tense when confronted with these stressful situations. We seek help such as medical explanations so we know how to reduce the little one’s fever.

Both older children and babies often begin to show symptoms of fever with a strange behavior. Their small eyes may begin to turn red and look tired, leading us to suspect that something is wrong.

It is important to pay attention to these signals as babies cannot talk or tell us how they are feeling. Even a sick child who is a little older and has a fever may not be able to explain to us much more than that they are feeling bad.

That is why it is important that we always keep a close eye. We need to give the first fever, and other fevers in the future, the attention they deserve. Below is a guide on how to deal with your baby’s first fever.

Here’s how to do it when your child has a fever

First we need to know that something is wrong in their little bodies when they have high fever or a bit high temperature.

But we should not pay so much attention to whether the fever is high or low. Namely, there are infections such as bronchiolitis that occur at lower temperatures, where sore throat occurs at higher temperatures.

Our sixth sense as mothers helps us. It allows us to detect when our child is in a worse mood, more tired or apathetic than usual. It is also important for us to measure their temperature with a thermometer.

Now the question is, how do we know if a child has a fever depending on their temperature? Pediatricians have established some general guidelines for classifying fever based on armpit temperature:

• Up to 37.5 degrees is a low-grade fever: In principle, it is not a major cause for concern if the baby is over three months old.

• Between 38 and 39 degrees is classified as a moderate fever. If your child manifests this temperature, consult their pediatrician without hesitation. In this way, they can find and treat the source of the fever.
• Higher than 39 degrees is known as high fever and requires immediate medical attention.

If you decide to measure your child’s temperature orally or rectally, know that the temperature in these two areas is higher than the armpit temperature. Therefore, it is important to know the differences that exist between these three areas.

If you use an infrared thermometer, follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully. In the case of traditional thermometers, the conversion of temperatures depends on the range:

Rectal temperature 0.5 degrees> Oral temperature 0.5 degrees> Armpit temperature.  

Fever in babies under 3 months old

In the case of newborns and babies who are less than 3 months old, fever must be handled in a different way. We have to be careful and sometimes interpret in other ways.

We need to take into account their clothing, the vaccinations they have received, or if they have been in the arms of one. We need to consider these precautions as babies still do not regulate their body temperatures properly.

If the fever does not drop below 37.5 degrees after normalizing your baby’s situation, consult your doctor. He or she will determine the cause of the fever, and treatment if necessary.

After the age of three months, children are already beginning to develop their own immune system, and therefore they should be evaluated in the margins we talked about earlier.

What can we do to reduce fever?

If the temperature is not very high (37.5 degrees), we should start by taking off some of the baby’s clothes. We must also give them water and offer them hot food.

Avoid hugging them or carrying too much around them. This will help the child regulate his own body temperature. 

If the fever is 38 degrees, you can give them a hot bath that is two degrees less than their body temperature. If this is not possible, moisten their neck, chest and crotch with a sponge of warm water.

At this time, it is also advisable to give them an antipyretic that your pediatrician recommends for these moments. You should always respect your pediatrician’s advice when giving medication.

If the fever persists despite all these actions, consult your doctor without hesitation.