Baby Fevers
Reasons for Fevers in Babies
Sometimes, fevers in babies is nothing to be concerned about but other times, fevers are a sign of something potentially serious happening within the child’s body. During the first six months after being born, a baby’s immune system is still developing and because of this, fighting off infection is difficult. For this reason, if you have a child around this age and a fever develops, you should talk to the doctor. Keep in mind that usually a doctor would not be overly concerned if the temperature were lower than 100.4 but if a fever increases past this, the doctor would probably want to see the baby.
Fevers in babies can be the result of several things, some that can be corrected quite easily, and some that require medical intervention. For instance, if a baby were not receiving adequate fluid, causing him or her to become dehydrated, a fever would likely develop. Another possible cause would be dressing the baby too warmly during warm days. In the first case, providing more fluids, specifically water and dressing in layers would eliminate the problem of fevers in babies.
However, fever in babies could also be due to some type of infection. Again, with the immune system not being strong, if the body were invaded with a virus or bacteria, it would be detected and identified as some type of foreign invader. With this, the immune system transmits a message to the brain, which in turn increases temperature as a way of fighting off or killing whatever is invading the body. Both viruses and bacteria are sensitive to increased body temperature so in this case, a low-grade fever is doing its job.
Again, as long as fevers in babies are below 100.4, it means infection is being fought off but when a baby’s temperature increases or even a low-grade fever persists more than two days, it could be a sign of something more serious occurring within the body. Even if the fever were due to an infection, a high or lingering fever would show that the body is simply incapable of getting rid of the invaders. At this point, the doctor would want to see the child to determine the true underlying problem.
Now, whenever fevers in babies develop, other things should be considered. For instance, if the baby seems listless or lethargic, has no appetite, is not taking fluids, has -problems sleeping, starts to vomit or develops chronic diarrhea, develops a rash, or shows any signs of respiratory distress, the doctor should be contracted immediately. In this case, even if fevers in baby are 100.4 or lower, when associated with other symptoms medical care is needed.
As the child nears nine months of age, concern over a fever diminishes although proper care would still be essential. For instance, around this age, fevers in babies can often be treated at home with an over-the-counter medication such as children’s Tylenol. While children’s Ibuprofen is also available, doctors do not recommend this medication in babies six months and younger. In addition, giving the baby a cool bath and providing fluids would help to bring the fever down. However, before deciding to treat the baby at home, it would still be important to contact the doctor for advice.
Fevers in babies are actually common and again, not always a sign of concern. When babies begin teething, it would be expected for a fever to develop, which is usually coupled with diarrhea, irritability, problems with sleep, etc. In this case, children’s Tylenol, a frozen teething ring, and a numbing medication would help but if at any time parents have questions or concerns, no matter how low the fever, the doctor should be contacted.