Parents are always scared when children have a fever, especially if the baby is not even one year old. Such crumbs can not be given the usual antipyretic drugs, special drugs have been developed for them - for children up to a year. In this article, we consider the causes of temperature in children 6 months of age and older. And also we will offer methods of churning high temperature with pharmacy drugs and folk remedies.
Body temperature norms for babies
Every parent is obliged to know what the normal temperature of a child is 6 months old, because this will help to provide the necessary assistance with diseases, as well as to exclude the healing of the baby with unnecessary drugs.
First of all, you need to assess the general condition of the child: he is calm or screaming, active or lethargic. The temperature in children of 6 months can not be measured immediately after the baby cried and screamed, as well as immediately after feeding. These factors will affect the temperature, and the mark will be too high.
It is best to measure the temperature in children of 6 months in several stages to get more accurate information. The norm for such crumbs is considered to be an interval from 36.2 to 37 degrees.
Why is the baby 6 months old having a high fever?
There is nothing worse than the time when the baby is sick. If the child has a temperature of 6 months, the parents are armed with all sorts of means - from folk to medication. But do not rush to give them to the baby, you first need to identify the causes of fever. To get started, call the children's local doctor at the house who will examine the baby and give recommendations on treatment.
To increase the temperature in a 6-month-old baby, there are many reasons, including infectious diseases, teething, and overheating. Each factor should be discussed in more detail.
Teething
If the child is 6 months old, the temperature only rises at night, then the teeth are most likely to blame, which at this age begin to erupt actively. Parents will be able to understand that teeth will soon appear if the baby actively nibbles his toys and everything that falls into his hands - mother’s hands, bottle, diaper, chest. During teething gums redden, and salivation also intensifies.
In many children, teething raises the temperature, which most often happens only at night. But there are some babies whose temperature keeps around the clock.
Overheat
If it’s stuffy, hot at home, or if mom just overdid it and dressed the child very warmly, then his temperature may rise. At the same time, the baby will be lethargic, acting up, as in a disease.
The first thing to do is to balance the ambient temperature. If this is a room, then put the window on airing, and for this time take the baby to another room so that it does not slip through.
Remove excess clothing from the child; you can even leave him to lie naked. Wipe the chest, back, palms and heels with a damp cloth, give the baby drink water at room temperature.
Doctors around the world recommend maintaining the temperature in the room no higher than +20 degrees. This will not only avoid overheating, but also strengthen the immune system.
Allergies and stress
Another two factors that can trigger an increase in temperature in a child of 6 months. At this age, porridge, juices, fruit purees, and dairy products are introduced into complementary foods. If after you give your child something new to try, he has a fever, call a doctor immediately, it could be an allergic reaction.
If fear, stress became the cause of the temperature increase, then ensure a calm environment, pay more attention to the baby, show your love with all kinds of feelings.
Disease
Of course, viral diseases can affect the increase in temperature in the baby.
- "Children's" diseases, such as chickenpox, whooping cough, and measles, do not occur without an increase in temperature, which can be much higher than 38 degrees. With such diseases, the heat will last quite a long time - up to several days, and it will be difficult to bring down the temperature.
- Poisoning and E. coli. Young children are exposed to these diseases, who get acquainted with new objects not only visually, but also taste them. A cat's tail, a book, an unwashed toy, and any other object that fell into the mouth of an inquisitive baby carries the danger of infection with Escherichia coli. Carefully make sure that toys and children's dishes are thoroughly washed, sterilized.
- Bacterial infections enter the body of a child with a weakened immune system. Particularly acute is the category of babies on artificial feeding. For example, after a common ARI, bronchitis or even sinusitis may develop. The temperature rises both at night and at any other time.
- Viral diseases. Toddlers more than adults are susceptible to viruses that can be picked up at a store, public transport, away from other people, or even without contact. Viruses move freely through the air, and in order for a child to get sick, you do not even need to kiss and hug an infected person. After the virus enters the baby's body, the temperature rises within 2 days. You can protect the child, for this you need to stay away from closed crowded rooms during epidemics, when visiting public places, leave the baby at home, and put on gauze bandages to parents to protect themselves and themselves from infection as much as possible.
The positive side of elevated temperature
Fever is not a definite independent disease. Immunologists claim that increasing body temperature is a protective reaction aimed at eliminating harmful factors. That is, immunity begins to intensely fight bacteria, microbes, viruses, which at high temperature can not multiply in the body, and many of them even die.
During the heat, phagocyte defensive cells begin to multiply actively, which feed on pathogenic bacteria and viruses, helping the body recover faster. The higher the temperature, the more active is the fight against the disease.
In addition to phagocytes, interferon is also produced, which affects the focus of the pathogen itself.
Negative sides
The body struggles on its own with the disease when the temperature does not exceed 38.5 degrees. With the mark above, you can no longer rely only on immunity, the body needs help.
The temperature in a child of 6 months is 38 - this is not so scary, such heat affects only the general state of health. If the scale of the thermometer rolls over 38.5, then this can cause irreversible effects to the whole body, including:
- high temperature additionally burdens the heart, which is dangerous for newborns and children with congenital heart disease;
- fever has a negative effect on the brain and nervous system;
- high temperature can change the structure of the brain, affect the work of organs, and primarily the liver and kidneys.
When can I bring down the temperature
Hyperthermia is a protective reaction of the body that indicates a properly functioning immunity. It is not recommended to bring down the temperature to 38 degrees, this can only weaken the body's natural protective functions, in which phagocytes and interferon will not be produced in the right amount. And this, in turn, will lead to a protracted disease.
It is necessary to reduce the heat in a child if:
- the temperature rises rapidly, measure it at least every 30 minutes;
- earlier, against the background of a temperature of 38-39 degrees, convulsions occurred;
- critical temperature - above 39 degrees;
- if hyperthermia is accompanied by diarrhea or vomiting, it is necessary to help the body and give the child an antipyretic;
- confusion, cold palms and / or heels, chills, pallor;
- the child is very difficult to tolerate temperatures, not even reaching 38 degrees.
Experts recommend resorting to antipyretics if the child has a temperature above 38 degrees under the age of 2 months. At an older age, including 6 months, it is recommended to give an antipyretic with a mark on the thermometer of 38.5 degrees.
Of course, you need to rely on the features of the baby. Some do not feel much discomfort at 39 degrees, while others are in a fainting state already at 37.5.
Means for temperature
Each parent thinks how to bring down the temperature in a child of 6 months, so as not to harm his body. There are two ways - medication and non-medication (folk remedies).
The drug method includes preparations in the form of powders for the preparation of a suspension, syrups, tablets, suppositories. Children are not given pills for up to a year, syrups, suspensions and suppositories are developed for them. And which of these three options is better? Doctors advise precisely candles, since they enter the intestines immediately, the temperature gets lost faster, and the gastric mucosa does not suffer. But each parent decides for himself in what form to give an antipyretic.
Medications to relieve heat
Today there are a lot of medicines that can be given to lower the temperature of children from birth. We offer to consider the most popular.
- "Panadol" - children's syrup. Instructions for use are in the package with the medicine. But if you lost it, then we suggest that you read this review. In the instructions for the use of Panadol baby syrup, the dosage by weight of the baby is prescribed: 4 ml (from 6 to 8 kg), 5 ml (8-10 kg). It is recommended to give this medicine no more than 4 times per day.
- "Panadol" (candles) - from the age of 3 months to a year: 60-120 mg. For a maximum of one day you can put candles 4 times, while maintaining an interval of 4 hours (if there is no need to reduce the heat after 4 hours, then, accordingly, you do not need to put a candle).
- "Nurofen" (syrup) - at the age of 6 months to a year, 1-4 times a day, 2.5 ml.
- "Ibufen" (syrup) - recommended for babies weighing from 7 to 9 kg, which is suitable for 6 months of age. Ibufen is given no more than 3 times 2.5 ml per day. The interval between doses is at least 6 hours.
- Ibuprofen (candles). With a weight of 5.5-8 kg, put 1 candle, at most 3 times a day. With a weight of 8 to 12.5 kg, also put 1 candle, but no more than 4 times a day.
This is not all the drugs recommended for this age. It is impossible to engage in self-medication, only the attending physician should prescribe the medicine, this article provides examples for educational purposes.
Folk remedies for heat
Each drug contains the maximum number of doses per day. And what if the child still has a rapidly rising temperature? Verified folk remedies will help:
- Wiping with water. This gives a short-term and small effect, but the procedure is harmless, so you can wipe it often.
- Wiping with vinegar. Dilute in equal parts 9% vinegar with water at room temperature. Wipe the solution on the chest, back, elbow and knee bends, palms, heels and temples. Wait until the body dries, only after that cover the baby with a thin blanket or diaper, but do not confuse.
- Vodka. This is a popular but time-consuming method that helps to lower the temperature well. Dilute vodka in equal parts with water, wipe with a solution the whole body of the child (except the genitals and face), let the baby dry for 10-15 minutes, then cover it with a thin blanket, do not confuse!
If the temperature is below normal
For what reasons does a baby of 6 months have a low temperature? The fact may be that his body is not yet accustomed to sudden changes in temperature. For example, it was taken out of a hot room to a cool one, then the temperature will drop. Mom’s warmth will help, just hold the baby to your chest.
But the reason for the low temperature may be other reasons:
- Weakening of immunity after a viral disease.
- Poor adrenal function and thyroid dysfunction.
- Infectious diseases of the respiratory tract.
- Low hemoglobin.
If the temperature drops once, then do not worry. If the body delivers such signals stably, then you need to contact a pediatrician to identify the cause.