Fever is a natural defense mechanism that the body uses to protect itself from infection and kill viruses or bacteria. In general, the elevation of the corporal temperature does not represent a danger for the children since it is only a symptom of a disease that is developing, but if it exceeds 39ºC or 40ºC it could induce seizures or cause temporary or permanent brain changes. For this reason, it is normal for many parents to be alarmed every time their little one has a fever, even if it is not very high.
However, unless the fever is very high, in which case you should take your child to the hospital, you can monitor their temperature variations at home. For this you can resort to medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, always under medical prescription. However, if you prefer to resort to other natural methods before, we offer you some traditional methods to reduce fever.
Dress him up in cool clothes
Clothing has the property of conserving body heat, preventing the outside air from coming into direct contact with the skin and cooling it. Therefore, when a child has a fever and is clothed, especially if he has several pieces of clothing, it will be more difficult to lower his temperature. In this case, the first step is to remove the thickest clothing and put on loose, cool clothing so that the heat can dissipate and the temperature gradually begins to drop.
Adjust the room temperature
A useful method of reducing a child’s body temperature is to regulate the room temperature. If the temperature in the room is very low it will not help lower the fever but will make you feel colder, but if it is too high it will accentuate the fever. Ideally, the child should be in a cool room, where there are no drafts. If it’s winter and you have the heat on, you should lower the temperature a bit. On the other hand, if it is summer and it is very hot, it would be convenient to put the air conditioning.
Give him a warm water bath
Putting your child in a bathtub of water at the same time or giving him a warm shower can help lower his fever. When your warm body comes into contact with a warmer environment, your metabolism will try to compensate for this difference and will gradually begin to lower the temperature. After approximately 10 minutes, you will notice how the fever will have dropped about 2 degrees. Of course, it prevents the water from being too cold.
Put wet compresses
As many movies of yesteryear show, this method is very effective in reducing fever. Just take some cloths or towels, moisten them in warm water and place them on the child’s forehead, neck and wrists. When they get hot or dry, you moisten them again and place them in the same places. What happens is that these three points are more sensitive to changes in temperature than the rest of the body, so that when you lower the temperature locally, the temperature of the rest of the body drops faster.
Make him put his feet on the ground
The feet are one of the parts of the body most sensitive to changes in temperature and function as a kind of thermostat that regulates body temperature. Therefore, a useful strategy when your child has a fever is to remove his shoes and have him walk barefoot on the floor, as long as it is not too cold. In this way, the feet will gradually begin to warm up and the temperature of the rest of the body will begin to drop.