If you are a new mother and you're afraid your baby may be getting sick, you may be concerned that your baby has a fever.
Check your child's forehead, if he's hot to the touch, than your probably right.
Having a rectal thermometer around the house to confirm or deny your suspicions is always a good idea.
Keeping track of your baby's body temperature will also help your doctor in diagnosing and/or treating him.
Usually, a fever indicates infection but sometimes babies are perfectly healthy with a slight temperature.
Pay attention to how the baby is acting; is the baby eating and sleeping normally? Also look for any skin discolorations, small purple blotches can indicate a serious bacterial infection.
Check to make sure that he's breathing properly, and see if there is any build-up or phlegm blocking his airways.
Bear in mind that our body temperatures fluctuate throughout the day.
They are almost always elevated in the late afternoon and early evening before going back down sometime at night and into the early morning.
A normal baby's temperature fluctuates between 97 and 100.
4 degrees Fahrenheit (36-38 Celsius) The younger your child is, the more concerned you should be about a high fever.
Just as a guideline, you should take your child to the hospital when they are 0-3 months old and their fever rises above 100.
4 F(38C), when they are 3-6 months old and their fever rises above 101 F (38.
3C), or when they are older than six months and their fever is higher than 103 F(39.
4C).
Sometimes you can give your baby an over the counter fever reducer like children's acetaminophen or, with babies over the age of six months, ibuprofen.
Be sure and consult your doctor before administering any over the counter medication to your baby, especially if he's on a prescription medication.
You can also try giving him a lukewarm (not cold) bath, as this will sometimes lower the fever.
If you have your suspicions, it's probably best to go ahead and take them to the doctor.
After all, it's better safe than sorry.
Check your child's forehead, if he's hot to the touch, than your probably right.
Having a rectal thermometer around the house to confirm or deny your suspicions is always a good idea.
Keeping track of your baby's body temperature will also help your doctor in diagnosing and/or treating him.
Usually, a fever indicates infection but sometimes babies are perfectly healthy with a slight temperature.
Pay attention to how the baby is acting; is the baby eating and sleeping normally? Also look for any skin discolorations, small purple blotches can indicate a serious bacterial infection.
Check to make sure that he's breathing properly, and see if there is any build-up or phlegm blocking his airways.
Bear in mind that our body temperatures fluctuate throughout the day.
They are almost always elevated in the late afternoon and early evening before going back down sometime at night and into the early morning.
A normal baby's temperature fluctuates between 97 and 100.
4 degrees Fahrenheit (36-38 Celsius) The younger your child is, the more concerned you should be about a high fever.
Just as a guideline, you should take your child to the hospital when they are 0-3 months old and their fever rises above 100.
4 F(38C), when they are 3-6 months old and their fever rises above 101 F (38.
3C), or when they are older than six months and their fever is higher than 103 F(39.
4C).
Sometimes you can give your baby an over the counter fever reducer like children's acetaminophen or, with babies over the age of six months, ibuprofen.
Be sure and consult your doctor before administering any over the counter medication to your baby, especially if he's on a prescription medication.
You can also try giving him a lukewarm (not cold) bath, as this will sometimes lower the fever.
If you have your suspicions, it's probably best to go ahead and take them to the doctor.
After all, it's better safe than sorry.