Is Fever In Children A Life-Threatening Health Condition?

A running fever in the body is a natural response to fighting an infection. It is a symptom occurring in the body’s immune system rather than a disease. Spotting the symptoms of fever in children and learning whether it is too high is important. There are different causes of children’s fever that you need to know to determine whether it requires medication.

When does fever in children become severe?

A fever temperature of 37.5-40°C is not considered a harmful illness. The height of the temperature does not affect the severity of the illness. Viral infections are the most common cause of fevers, including cold and flu. Viral infections are not curable with antibiotics.

Bacterial infections usually follow after viral infections that affect some parts of the body, such as:

• sinuses
• lungs
• ears

Bacterial infections are curable with antibiotics. While all these can happen regardless of age, children’s fever requires immediate medical attention and is considered severe. Children under 3 months with a 38°C or higher rectal temperature need serious attention and medication.

Types of fever in children

A fever is classified into five types, based on how they fluctuate all day long and how they last. Here are the five classifications of fever in children:

Intermittent fever

An intermittent fever is a body temperature that becomes too high and falls back to normal within the day. It is an irregular recurrent fever that possibly is a sequential viral illness. This fever fluctuates between normal and too high. It means the body temperature is unstable.

In short, intermittent fever is a fever that comes and goes in a fluctuating pattern. It is a kind of fever that has uncontrollable episodes of high body temperature that can last for hours to days. It alternates with intervals of “no fever”. There are three types of intermittent fever based on its intervals, namely:

1. Quotidian fever. It is a type of intermittent fever that spikes every 24 hours.
2. Tertian fever. It is an intermittent fever that spikes every 48 hours.
3. Quartan fever. An intermittent fever that spikes every 72 hours.

Remittent fever

Remittent fever has a body temperature that keeps fluctuating, but it will not return to normal baseline. The temperature stays above normal for 24 hours and fluctuates more than 2° Celsius. For example, if a child has 37°C and above that will never return to the normal temperature, it is a remittent fever.

When a child has a remittent fever, it is a sign of an underlying illness. Therefore, it should be monitored and must be checked by a doctor.

Continuous fever

The body temperature remains high with no or a slight fluctuation in 24 hours. Continuous fever lasts more than 3 to 5 days, which can be alarming. Although continuous fever is not deadly, it still causes discomfort to children especially when associated with a headache.

Hectic fever

It is a fever characterized by large temperature swings throughout the day.

Relapsing fever

It’s a fever that hits again after days or weeks, despite having normal body temperature.

How can you measure the child’s temperature?

Choosing the right thermometer must be easy to use, depending on the child’s age. Here are the suggested thermometers suitable for different ages, such as:

• Axillary thermometer. It is a kind of thermometer used in the armpit, best for children 4 weeks old and below.
• Tympanic thermometer. It is a kind of thermometer used in the ear for children 4 weeks and above.
• Rectal thermometer. It is the most recommendable thermometer. It can give the most accurate reading.

Conclusion

Fever in children is not a life-threatening health condition. It only needs to have proper medical care to lessen the body temperature and regain the natural body temperature. Seeking medical advice from a pediatrician especially for infants helps you deal with fever in children. Medical advice from a doctor can prescribe the right and proper fever medication to children.