What to do in case of fever in children? Emergency rooms are sometimes saturated and parents are distraught, coming to hospitals in case of health concerns.
Fever is the most common symptom in children. The vast majority of fevers are linked to viruses and mild infections.
reassures Professor Christèle Gras-Le Guen, head of the pediatrics department at Nantes University Hospital, there is no need to panic.”
When to be concerned? You should be concerned if you have a fever in a baby less than a month old. This may be the first symptom of an infection caused by bacteria and it is important to seek medical attention quickly.
Also be vigilant if other symptoms are added in addition to fever. It is necessary to consult if the child has other worrying signs, such as spots appearing on the skin. Rapid medical advice is necessary in this case. We can also mention having convulsions, no longer reacting or having a sudden color change.
A very clear site
If in doubt, parents can go to a website intended for professionals and also for parents https://pourlesparents.reso-pedia.fr/.
This site, funded by the Pays de la Loire Regional Health Agency, was created by professionals from Pays de la Loire.
The site provides practical information: “How to measure temperature”, “What to do if my child is less than three months old, more than three months old”, etc. It is advisable to undress the child without making him naked.
Received ideas
Essential information: the site also discusses preconceived ideas. Baths and wraps are no longer recommended at all
recalls Professor le Gras-Guen, some no longer have any place like the suppository and the remedies of our grandmothers.”
It is advisable to undress the child without making him naked, to give paracetamol but not as a suppository.
Worrying symptoms
All this data is important to avoid unnecessary consultations in certain cases. This site allows parents to find their way around. His condition is getting worse and worries me: his complexion is grayish or very pale, he is limp, he is crying, his cries are weak, he is blue, he is having difficulty breathing. In these cases, any parents worry. It’s complicated when he doesn’t have these serious signs and the parents are still worried when the child doesn’t have serious symptoms.
indicates the head of pediatrics, you have to find the right person at the right time and not get lost in the emergency room if there is no need.
Emergencies for serious cases
Emergency rooms still risk becoming saturated very quickly. During the winter epidemic period, pediatric emergencies are more than ever reserved for serious situations. Under no circumstances should you go to the emergency room without having been invited to do so by your doctor or referred by 15″,
according to Professor Gras-Le Guen.
This message is thus recalled by health professionals. We sometimes have parents who are genuinely worried. They arrive at 3 a.m. because their child has a fever. They are advised to give paracetamol, put their child back to bed and see the doctor the next day. In the vast majority of cases, this is enough. We need reassurance.
Should you take syrup?
For coughs, the general public does not always know whether to take syrup or not. “We cannot blame them because for years, they were prescribed syrup for everything or anything while promising them the beneficial effects,” says Professor Gras-Le Guen. The effective syrups are those against fever. This is paracetamol in oral suspension. It’s the child’s syrup
. For the rest, there is no need for cough syrups. They are contraindicated before two years. There is no product that works for coughs in children since the only ones that work in adults are syrups that have an effect on the brain and put you to sleep.
Honey is recommended for coughs. Its benefit has been scientifically proven.”
