What should I do if my baby has a fever of 38 degrees? The result of using an antipyretic patch on my baby is…

I don’t know when the antipyretic patch has quietly become an artifact to cool down the baby. No matter on the street, in the circle of friends, or in the hospital, as long as the baby has a fever, parents will immediately put a rectangular antipyretic patch on the child’s forehead. However, do antipyretic patches that are so popular among parents really work? Will everything be fine if the baby has a fever and just wears an antipyretic patch? Next, Doudehui will reveal the true face of the antipyretic patch and help all mothers and fathers clear their minds! What should I do if my 7-month-old baby has a fever? Should I use a cool towel or a hot towel? Why can the antipyretic patch achieve a seemingly cooling effect? The decisive role of antipyretic patch in cooling is: polymer gel. This is not simple, it contains water, borneol, mint, pigments and other substances. When the human body\’s skin comes into contact with the antipyretic patch, the water in the polymer gel will vaporize, thereby evaporating part of the heat and playing a cooling role. The reason why antipyretic patches are widely used may be that parents believe that antipyretic patches have a cooling effect, are safer than taking antipyretics and antipyretic injections, have no toxic or side effects on babies, and are a way of physical cooling. It is not difficult to understand why mothers and fathers regard antipyretic patches as a fever savior. But is it really so magical? Let’s read on ▼ Does the antipyretic patch really work? The antipyretic patch is not useless at all, but its effect is minimal, because the antipyretic patch is neither a medicine nor a cure. It has about the same effect as a cold towel or ice pack applied to the head. That is to say, the antipyretic patch can only lower the temperature of the local skin, but will not have much effect on lowering the body temperature. Moreover, the temperature in the human body will be balanced through the flow of blood. It is impossible to lower the temperature inside the skull or even the entire body by cooling a small piece of skin on the forehead. There are also some antipyretic patches added with substances such as borneol, peppermint, and eucalyptus oil. These substances will make the local skin feel cool, bring temporary comfort to the baby, and soothe the irritable and crying emotions. In fact, these are not really cooling, they just create an illusion that parents mistakenly think that the fever is going down. How to physically cool your baby correctly? 1. Warm water bath with water temperature of 32-34℃ and indoor temperature of 25-27℃. Close doors and windows to avoid air convection. Rub the limbs, lower back, armpits, popliteal fossa, and groin, avoiding the chest, abdomen, and soles of the feet. During the scrubbing process, always pay attention to the child\’s complexion, breathing, and temperature of hands and feet to avoid getting cold again and water being sucked into the mouth and nose. Each time should not be too long, 15 to 20 minutes is enough. 2. Ice pack cooling: Wrap a layer of ice pack in a towel or cloth and place it on your forehead to reduce the temperature of your head. Place alternately on both sides of the neck, armpits, groin and other places where large blood vessels run on the body surface to conduct heat and dissipate, for 3 to 5 minutes each time. Remember not to place it behind the ears, chest, abdomen, scrotum, soles of feet, etc. In addition, you must avoid frostbite. 3. Cold and wet compresses on the head will dilate the capillaries and help release body heat. Therefore, it is recommended to soak a towel with ice water or cold water, twist it half dry and apply it on the forehead. 4. Reduce clothes or turn on the air conditioner. If the indoor temperature is high or the baby feels uncomfortable due to fever, parents can appropriately help the baby by reducing clothes or turning on the air conditioner.Help your baby dissipate heat and lower their body temperature. At what temperature must I take antipyretics? In clinical practice, axillary temperature greater than or equal to 37.5 degrees is usually defined as fever, 37.5 to 38 degrees as low fever, 38.1 to 39 degrees as moderate fever, 39.1 to 41 degrees as high fever, and more than 41 degrees as ultra-high fever. You should know that fever is a manifestation of disease, and it is also a process for children to strengthen their immunity. As long as the baby\’s temperature does not exceed 38.5 degrees, is in good mental condition, can eat, sleep, and play, and generally has no major problems, parents do not need to rush to help the baby reduce the fever quickly. However, for babies under 3 months old, high fever can easily cause brain damage, so as long as the body temperature exceeds 38 degrees, they should seek medical treatment immediately. For older babies, if the body temperature exceeds 38.5 degrees, they must take antipyretics under the guidance of a doctor. For babies over six months old, oral ibuprofen, Motrin or Tylenol can be taken to reduce fever (just choose one of them). Pediatric acetaminophen and xanthanamine granules can only be taken after the baby is 1 year old. If the baby has repeated and persistent fevers, or the fever lasts for more than 3 days, it is necessary to seek medical attention promptly and have the doctor perform routine blood tests to diagnose the cause and then provide symptomatic treatment. All in all, antipyretic patches can only play a local cooling role. Parents should not place all their hopes of reducing fever on antipyretic patches. If your baby\’s skin develops itching, redness, rash or other allergies after using the antipyretic patch, be sure to stop using it immediately!