The moment you find out that your baby has a fever or cold, your first urge would be to go to a pediatrician. It's not necessary to visit a doctor for mild colds and fevers because they're quite common. Keep reading to learn home management techniques of colds and fevers as well as when to call a doctor.
Doctors don't really consider under 100F to be a fever, but if you're baby is under 2 months old then you should seek medical treatment. If it doesn't need to be treated if the fever doesn't go above 102F, unless it's making your baby uncomfortable or not able to sleep. However, if you notice your baby having purple spots on the skin, showing signs of dehydration like dry lips or infrequent urination, or whose temperature reached 105, then you should immediately seek medical attention.
Keep your baby cool by using compresses or a tepid bath in order to treat the mild fever. Make sure that their clothes are loose. Feeding your baby plenty of fluids and keeping a watch on her is important. Over the counter medications should be avoided unless your baby is unable to sleep. It's best to let the body do it's job because fever is its way of fighting infection.
For treating minor colds, rest would be your best option. However, your baby may be uncomfortable unless you treat the cold symptoms. Try using vaporizers or adding vapor treatments in the bath to relieve congestion. If your baby is really uncomfortable, only then can you try to use over the counter medication. For guidelines about the dosage, read the bottle or follow your doctor's advice and go by weight, not age.
Look for signs of ear infection if the colds don't resolve themselves in a week or two. Unexplained crying, especially when lying down, tugging the ears and tossing and turning while trying to sleep are some signs that there might be ear infection. You need to take your child to a doctor once you've noticed these symptoms. Ear infections are often hard to recognize in young children and can be very painful.
For treating colds and fevers, talk to your pediatrician, listen to his recommendations and ask when you should come in or call. Sometimes though, you just need to trust your instincts and call your doctor if you believe there's a real problem.
Doctors don't really consider under 100F to be a fever, but if you're baby is under 2 months old then you should seek medical treatment. If it doesn't need to be treated if the fever doesn't go above 102F, unless it's making your baby uncomfortable or not able to sleep. However, if you notice your baby having purple spots on the skin, showing signs of dehydration like dry lips or infrequent urination, or whose temperature reached 105, then you should immediately seek medical attention.
Keep your baby cool by using compresses or a tepid bath in order to treat the mild fever. Make sure that their clothes are loose. Feeding your baby plenty of fluids and keeping a watch on her is important. Over the counter medications should be avoided unless your baby is unable to sleep. It's best to let the body do it's job because fever is its way of fighting infection.
For treating minor colds, rest would be your best option. However, your baby may be uncomfortable unless you treat the cold symptoms. Try using vaporizers or adding vapor treatments in the bath to relieve congestion. If your baby is really uncomfortable, only then can you try to use over the counter medication. For guidelines about the dosage, read the bottle or follow your doctor's advice and go by weight, not age.
Look for signs of ear infection if the colds don't resolve themselves in a week or two. Unexplained crying, especially when lying down, tugging the ears and tossing and turning while trying to sleep are some signs that there might be ear infection. You need to take your child to a doctor once you've noticed these symptoms. Ear infections are often hard to recognize in young children and can be very painful.
For treating colds and fevers, talk to your pediatrician, listen to his recommendations and ask when you should come in or call. Sometimes though, you just need to trust your instincts and call your doctor if you believe there's a real problem.
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