Fever Remedies for Babies

Fever Remedies for Babies

Fever Remedies for BabiesWhen your baby has a fever, a minute can seem like a lifetime. They cry, suffer, and sleep poorly throughout the night leaving you both exhausted. With seemingly endless possibilities for the cause of the fever this one symptom can be more nerve wracking than most.

In this article we’ll discuss some ways to help your baby feel better faster. From over the counter fever reducers to natural remedies to lower your little one’s temperature, we’ve got you covered. Sometimes though, home treatment may not be enough to lower the fever fast enough or sufficiently. We’ll discuss when to seek medical treatment as well to keep your little one safe and happy.

Medications for Treating Babies Fever at Home

While fever is merely a symptom of a disease it can be treated with medications, it will ultimately resolve when the virus or infection has cleared up though. Reaching for an over the counter fever reducer can help your little one to feel better and relive aches or pains as well. Tylenol is an excellent choice for infant fevers but should not be given to babies under six weeks of age. Another good choice is Motrin or Advil which can both help to lower a fever. If your baby’s fever is very high your doctor may recommend combining Motrin or Advil and Tylenol for even faster, more efficient relief. Always remember that aspirin should never be given to anyone under 20 years of age to prevent Reye’s syndrome.

Natural Remedies for Treating a Babies Fever

While medication can certainly help, there are some natural remedies that may help your little one to feel better faster too. It’s important to remember first and foremost to keep your baby comfortably warm. Wrapping your child in heavy blankets or heavy clothing could actually cause a fever or worsen an existing fever. Yet, dressing children too lightly or using too few blankets may cause shivering which could also raise the body temperature. It’s best to cover your child lightly and dress them sensibly to avoid your baby becoming too hot or too cold. Cool cloths or lukewarm baths may also be used to lower the body temperature gently and provide comfort. Most importantly keep your baby hydrated with juice, formula, breast milk, or electrolyte solutions as appropriate to your situation. Allowing your baby to rest and providing comfort to control crying may also result in fever reduction as well for your little one.

When to see the Doctor or Seek Emergency Treatment for a Babies Fever

Home treatment is usually enough to manage a fever and simply removing some of your child’s clothing or blankets may be enough to lower their temperature. At other times teething, vaccines, or simple colds may be at play leaving your little one anxious and feverish through the night. If you’ve explored all of the common causes with no clear answers in sight it may be time to visit your pediatrician. Your doctor can diagnose infections or viruses to treat the underlying cause of your child’s fever for quicker recovery.

Other situations may be more serious and may require emergency medical treatment. If your baby has seizures or convulsions you should seek treatment immediately. Other causes for concern include infrequent wet diapers, sunken eyes, dry mouth, and lethargy.

Another rare occasion for emergency medical treatment is meningitis which classically shows as stiff neck, rash, inconsolable crying, lethargy, and sudden high fever, possibly over 103 degrees.

Any infant with a temperature with a fever of 100.4 or higher also needs emergency treatment if they are less than 2 months of age.

As mentioned above though these cases are rare and home treatment should be enough to help your baby to feel better fast.