My child has a fever, how to lower?

Fever is a normal reaction of the body to fight infections. In the face of this symptom, there so not to worry.

Fever is primarily a physiological mechanism of defense against infectious diseases that has beneficial effects for fighting infections, reducing the proliferation of viruses and bacteria and increasing the ability of white blood cells to respond to infection. This is the witness of immune defenses started against an infectious agent. In principle we should not fight against nosmecanismes defense, but against only its excesses and its inconveniences.

If your child is 40 ° C of fever, this does not necessarily mean that his illness is serious... The importance of the fever doesn't have a direct correlation with the severity of the disease. However, when fever is high, there is more chance that the infection is bacterial.

Fever is responsible for seizures?

No, this isn't the fever that is directly involved. Seizures are a consequence of the disease in a child often genetically predisposed. Medicines that lower fever do not prevent the occurrence of seizures.

If I don't give anything, the fever will go up?

No, it's the body that goes spontaneously limit the importance of fever. It is for this reason that fever oscillates during an illness.

It is by the fever I accelerate healing?

No, fever is a consequence of the disease, not its cause.

I bring down a fever at all costs?

No, fever is the ally of your child, not your enemy. It testifies to the start-up of its defenses. It is not dangerous. Fever can be respected, it is uncomfortable to be addressed.

Conversely, there are two important questions to ask when a child has a fever.

• What disease is the cause of this fever? Indeed, fever is the result of a disease. If your child is less than three months, should be consulted quickly in case of fever. After this age, the consultation is necessary when your child's behaviour is changed, when the fever is very high or prolonged.

When a child has a fever, should • ease the pain at all costs? For this a systematic treatment is not warranted (a child can have a fever and not feel bad). Medicines that lower fever are especially useful for their analgesic power and comfort they provide.

What treatment focus on fever?

The first thing to do is to measure your child's temperature before considering treatment. Touching his forehead, it is not very accurate, you need to use an electronic thermometer, preferably rectally.

If it shows 38 ° C, this means that the child has a fever. From 38.5 ° C, and if he feels obviously badly, we can start by adopting a few simple steps to relieve him. Strip him, give him to drink regularly and ventilate the room. A lukewarm bath or worse frozen are unadvised because this could exacerbate his feeling of discomfort.

If the temperature continues to rise, you can then use 3 types of medicines: paracetamol, aspirin and, if your child to more than 3 months, ibuprofen. In self-medication, it is paracetamol which is recommended as first-line.

Aspirin is no longer or almost most used because it had been involved in a form of liver failure in children, including in the case of chicken pox or flu. About ibuprofen, assumed in France that it exposes a little more side effects, including a risk of bacterial superinfection has more important in the case of chicken pox and kidney failure in case of dehydration.

In all cases, must use only one drug at a time, making sure to observe the doses based on weight and age and the time between which is usually 6 hours.

In the event that in spite of these medicines, the fever holds on for over 3 days or that your tyke doesn't feel truly awful, you should counsel a speciali