What is Fever?
Fever, an increase in the body’s temperature, is a normal reaction that helps the body fight infections.
When the body detects a microbial infection, the brain increase the body’s temperature in order to kill the microbe. although fever in itself is not dangerous ,it is an indication that your child has an infection and it can make him/her feel uncomfortable. A child is considered to have fever if:- His/her rectal temperature is over 38 °C
- His/her oral temperature is over 37.5 °C
Symptoms
Depending on what's causing your fever, additional fever signs and symptoms may include:
- Sweating
- Shivering
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Loss of appetite
- Dehydration
- General weakness
High fevers between 103 F (39.4 C) and 106 F (41.1 C) may cause:
- Hallucinations
- Confusion
- Irritability
- Convulsions
- Dehydration
Keep in mind the following:
- Your child can feel warm just by playing energetically and for long hours, crying or being outdoors on a hot day. When he /she rests, the temperature should return to normal in 20-30 minutes.
- Measuring the rectal temperature is the most accurate method for detecting a child’s temperature. Axillaries and ear temperature are less accurate: however, they may be the preferred methods in certain medical conditions. Your child’s doctor can advise you on the best method to measure your child’s temperature taking into consideration his/her condition.
- Fever does not cause brain damage.
- Do not worry about how high your child’s temperature is: worry if your child look very sick.
- In general, it is not necessary to treat the fever if you r child is eating, sleeping and active.
- If you use medications to lower the fever, the temperature may come down a maximum of 1 or 1.5 C. it does not necessarily go down to normal.
- Giving more fever medications than recommended may cause poisoning or even death of child.
What should I do if my child develops Fever?
- Dress your child in light clothing at home and keep the environment comfortably cool.
- Offer your child plenty of fluids in order t avoid dehydration (such as water, diluted juices, commercially prepared oral solutions, etc..)
- Encourage your child to rest, keeping in mind that the child does not need to rest all the time in bed but should not overexert himself/herself.
- You may use medications to drop the fever if your child is uncomfortable. these include acetaminophen or ibuprofen. before giving your child any medication, consult hi/her doctor.
- Do not use sponging with water as may cause your child to shiver.
When should I call my child’s doctor?
- Looks very ill, lethargic/tired or is unresponsive.
- Refuse to drink anything for several hours.
- Has a rash.
- Has a difficulty breathing.
- Has repeated episodes of vomiting and / or diarrhea.
- Has signs of dehydration (such as dry mouth, a sunken
- soft spot or significantly fewer wet diapers).
- Has a seizure.
- Is younger than three months (12 weeks).
- Has any immune system problem like cancer or sickle cell disease.
- Fever lasts more than three days.
Does my Insurance Policy cover the treatment of Fever?
Yes. According to CCHI unified Policy terms and conditions, health insurance policies in Saudi Arabia cover the treatment of fever.
Please Click Here to access the Unified CCHI Policy Wordings.References:
"Fever." Diseases and Conditions. N.p., May 2014. Web. Aug. 2016."Fever." Fever in Children. N.p., 22 July 2015. Web. Aug. 2016.
"Fever” Rules. N.p., n.d. Web. Aug. 2016