what temperature should you take a 2 year old to the hospital

All kids get a fever from time to time. A fever itself usually causes no harm and can actually exist a good thing — it'southward often a sign that the body is fighting an infection.

Simply when your kid wakes in the center of the night flushed, hot, and sweaty, it's like shooting fish in a barrel to be unsure of what to do next. Should you get out the thermometer? Call the dr.?

Here'south more most fevers, including when to contact your doctor.

What Is a Fever?

Fever happens when the trunk's internal "thermostat" raises the body temperature above its normal level. This thermostat is found in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus knows what temperature your body should be (normally around 98.6°F/37°C) and volition send messages to your body to keep it that way.

Most people's trunk temperatures alter a little scrap during the class of the day: It's usually a little lower in the morn and a picayune higher in the evening and tin can vary as kids run effectually, play, and exercise.

Sometimes, though, the hypothalamus will "reset" the trunk to a college temperature in response to an infection, illness, or some other cause. Why? Researchers believe that turning upwardly the oestrus is a way for the body to fight the germs that crusade infections, making it a less comfortable place for them.

What Causes Fevers?

It'due south of import to call up that fever by itself is non an illness — it's ordinarily a sign or symptom of another problem.

Fevers tin be caused by a few things, including:

Infection: Virtually fevers are caused by infection or other affliction. A fever helps the body fight infections by stimulating natural defense mechanisms.

Overdressing: Infants, especially newborns, may become fevers if they're overbundled or in a hot environment because they don't regulate their torso temperature as well as older kids. But because fevers in newborns tin signal a serious infection, fifty-fifty infants who are overdressed must exist checked by a doctor if they take a fever.

Immunizations: Babies and kids sometimes become a low-grade fever afterwards getting vaccinated.

Although teething may cause a slight rise in body temperature, information technology's probably not the crusade if a child'south temperature is higher than 100°F (37.eight°C).

When Is a Fever a Sign of Something Serious?

In good for you kids, not all fevers need to be treated. High fever, though, tin make a child uncomfortable and make issues (such as dehydration) worse.

Doctors make up one's mind on whether to treat a fever past considering both the temperature and a child's overall status.

Kids whose temperatures are lower than 102°F (38.9°C) often don't need medicine unless they're uncomfortable. There'due south one of import exception: If an baby 3 months or younger has a rectal temperature of 100.four°F (38°C) or college, call your doctor or become to the emergency department immediately. Even a slight fever can be a sign of a potentially serious infection in very young babies.

If your child is between 3 months and 3 years one-time and has a fever of 102.2°F (39°C) or higher, phone call to see if your doctor needs to see your child. For older kids, take behavior and activeness level into account. Watching how your kid behaves will give you a pretty good idea of whether a minor illness is the cause or if your child should be seen by a doctor.

The illness is probably non serious if your child:

• is all the same interested in playing
• is eating and drinking well
• is alert and grin at you
• has a normal skin color
• looks well when his or her temperature comes down

And don't worry likewise much about a child with a fever who doesn't desire to eat. This is very common with infections that cause fever. For kids who still drink and urinate (pee) commonly, not eating as much as usual is OK.

Is it a Fever?

A gentle kiss on the forehead or a paw placed lightly on the skin is frequently enough to requite you a hint that your kid has a fever. However, this method of taking a temperature (called tactile temperature) won't requite an accurate measurement.

Utilise a reliable digital thermometer to confirm a fever. It's a fever when a child's temperature is at or to a higher place one of these levels:

• measured orally (in the mouth): 100°F (37.8°C)
• measured rectally (in the bottom): 100.4°F (38°C)
• measured in an axillary position (nether the arm): 99°F (37.ii°C)

But how loftier a fever is doesn't tell you much nearly how ill your child is. A simple cold or other viral infection can sometimes crusade a rather high fever (in the 102°–104°F/38.9°–40°C range), but this doesn't usually mean there's a serious trouble. In fact, a serious infection, specially in infants, might crusade no fever or fifty-fifty a depression body temperature (beneath 97°F or 36.1°C).

Considering fevers can rise and autumn, a child might accept chills as the body's temperature begins to rising. The child may sweat to release extra rut equally the temperature starts to drib.

Sometimes kids with a fever breathe faster than usual and may take a faster heart rate. Call the doctor if your child has trouble animate, is breathing faster than normal, or is however breathing fast after the fever comes downwardly.

How Can I Help My Child Feel Better?

Once more, not all fevers need to exist treated. In most cases, a fever should be treated only if information technology'due south causing a child discomfort.

Here are ways to ease symptoms that ofttimes accompany a fever:

Medicines

If your kid is fussy or uncomfortable, y'all tin can give acetaminophen or ibuprofen based on the package recommendations for historic period or weight. (Unless instructed by a doctor, never give aspirin to a child due to its clan with Reye syndrome, a rare simply potentially fatal disease.) If you don't know the recommended dose or your kid is younger than two years old, telephone call the doctor to detect out how much to requite.

Infants younger than 2 months old should non be given whatsoever medicine for fever without being checked by a md. If your kid has any medical problems, check with the doctor to see which medicine is best to utilise. Retrieve that fever medicine can temporarily bring a temperature down, only usually won't return information technology to normal — and information technology won't treat the underlying reason for the fever.

Home Comfort Measures

Wearing apparel your child in lightweight habiliment and cover with a low-cal sheet or blanket. Overdressing and overbundling can prevent trunk estrus from escaping and can crusade the temperature to rise.

Make sure your kid's chamber is a comfy temperature — not likewise hot or too cold.

While some parents use lukewarm sponge baths to lower fever, this method only helps temporarily, if at all. In fact, sponge baths can make kids uncomfortable. Never apply rubbing alcohol (information technology tin cause poisoning when absorbed through the skin) or ice packs/common cold baths (they can cause chills that tin can enhance body temperature).

Food and Drinks

Offering enough of fluids to avert dehydration because fevers brand kids lose fluids more apace than usual. H2o, soup, ice pops, and flavored gelatin are all adept choices. Avoid drinks with caffeine, including colas and tea, considering they tin make dehydration worse by increasing urination (peeing).

If your child also is vomiting and/or has diarrhea, enquire the doctor if you should give an electrolyte (rehydration) solution fabricated especially for kids. You lot tin notice these at drugstores and supermarkets. Don't offer sports drinks — they're not fabricated for younger children and the added sugars can brand diarrhea worse. Also, limit your child's intake of fruits and apple juice.

In full general, let kids eat what they want (in reasonable amounts), just don't strength it if they don't feel similar information technology.

Taking it Piece of cake

Make sure your kid gets plenty of residue. Staying in bed all twenty-four hours isn't necessary, but a sick child should take it easy.

Information technology's all-time to go along a child with a fever home from school or childcare. Most doctors feel that it's safe to return when the temperature has been normal for 24 hours.

When Should I Call the Doc?

The verbal temperature that should trigger a call to the physician depends on a child's age, the illness, and whether there are other symptoms with the fever.

Call your doctor if you have an:

• infant younger than 3 months old with a rectal temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or college
• older kid with a temperature of higher than 102.2°F (39°C)

Also phone call if an older child has a fever of lower than 102.2°F (39°C) simply too:

• refuses fluids or seems too ill to drink adequately
• has lasting diarrhea or repeated vomiting
• has any signs of aridity (peeing less than usual, not having tears when crying, less alert and less active than usual)
• has a specific complaint (similar a sore pharynx or earache)
• nonetheless has a fever later on 24 hours (in kids younger than 2 years old) or 72 hours (in kids 2 years or older)
• is getting fevers a lot, even if they simply last a few hours each dark
• has a chronic medical problem, such as heart illness, cancer, lupus, or sickle jail cell disease
• has a rash
• has hurting while peeing

Become emergency care if your child shows any of these signs:

• crying that won't stop
• farthermost irritability or fussiness
• sluggishness and problem waking up
• a rash or imperial spots that look like bruises on the skin (that were non there before your kid got sick)
• blue lips, natural language, or nails
• infant's soft spot on the caput seems to be bulging out or sunken in
• strong neck
• astringent headache
• limpness or refusal to move
• problem breathing that doesn't get amend when the nose is cleared
• leaning forward and drooling
• seizure
• moderate to severe belly pain

Also, ask if your doctor has specific guidelines on when to telephone call about a fever.

What Else Should I Know?

All kids get fevers, and in most cases they're completely dorsum to normal inside a few days. For older babies and kids, the mode they act can be more important than the reading on your thermometer. Everyone gets a little cranky when they take a fever. This is normal and should be expected.

But if you're e'er in dubiousness nigh what to do or what a fever might mean, or if your child is acting sick in a way that concerns you even if there's no fever, always call your doctor for advice.

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Source: https://kidshealth.org/Nemours/en/parents/fever.html

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