It is again the high incidence of colds at the turn of spring and summer, and the temperature difference between day and night is large, and the child is accidentally hit. Many parents find that their children usually do not burn much during the day, but in the evening or at night, they burn very strongly; Sometimes the fever subsides during the day, and it burns again at night, making people anxious and helpless. Why do children always have fevers at night? Should the child wake up and take medicine after falling asleep with a fever? We consulted with the pediatrician, who advised: the child falls asleep at night and has a fever, and wakes up to take medicine without moving. I invite them to elaborate today.
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Why are children more likely to have fevers at night?
Compared with the daytime, the human body's body temperature is more likely to rise at night, which is related to our immune system, the circadian rhythm of body temperature and other reasons, and the same is true for infants and young children.
The immune system is more active at night, making fever more likely to occur
The secretion of many hormones in the human body changes day and night. Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands that regulates blood sugar levels, metabolism, and blood pressure while helping the immune system function properly and reducing inflammation. During the day, cortisol is secreted in the blood. It slows down the immune system's work, helping the body focus more on the challenges of the external environment. At night, cortisol secretion is less, the immune system begins to be active, and the immune cells in the body can easily detect viruses, bacteria, etc. infected in the body, thus causing infection symptoms, such as fever.
Cortisol generally rises to the highest of the day half an hour after waking up and then drops to its lowest at midnight
Body temperature rises naturally in the evening or evening, making fever easier to detect at night
The body's body temperature fluctuates throughout the day, as do infants and young children. Usually the body temperature will be lower in the morning and morning, and the body temperature will rise in the afternoon and evening, which can vary by up to about 1 °C. It is very likely that the child still has 37.0 °C in the morning, and in the evening he finds that it is already 38.0 °C, which looks like a fever at night. In addition, the child will distract from various eating, drinking and entertainment during the day, thereby ignoring slight discomfort and showing a good mental state. At this time, parents often do not pay attention to the child's body temperature and ignore the child's fever symptoms. In the evening or evening, the child is active for a day, enters a quiet rest state, and the attention begins to focus on the discomfort of the body, showing an uncomfortable state, which is easy to attract the attention of parents, so that the children are prone to fever in the evening or at night.
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Should the child wake up and take medicine after falling asleep with a fever?
Many parents find that their children have a fever and are easily agitated, so they want to quickly take antipyretic medicine to let their children reduce their fever as soon as possible.
● For babies aged < 3 months, as long as the axillary temperature is ≥ 37.5 °C or the temperature is ≥ 38 °C, it is recommended to seek medical attention to evaluate the condition in time. It is not recommended to self-administer any antipyretics to babies aged < 3 months without medical advice. ● For children with underlying diseases, such as chronic diseases, dysfunction of important organs (heart failure, respiratory failure, etc.), it is recommended to seek medical attention in case of fever.● For children who do not have underlying diseases and are > 3 months old, have a fever after falling asleep, Whether to wake up and feed medicine, the most important thing is to see the child's comfort.
Lilac mother has popularized science many times, taking antipyretic drugs can not change the course of fever disease, let alone treat the disease. It only inhibits the release and synthesis of prostaglandins, so that the body temperature does not rise, so that the inflammatory response in the body is no longer visible. We let the child take antipyretic medicine, the main purpose is to relieve the symptoms of the disease, so that the child does not have pain, so that the child is more comfortable. If the child with the fever sleeps peacefully and does not show discomfort, let the child sleep well. After all, being forcibly screamed when sleeping soundly may be more uncomfortable and unpleasant than fever, you say?
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After the child falls asleep, fever should pay more attention to the child's state than temperature
Fever is not a disease, but a manifestation of the body's resistance to inflammation and disease. It stimulates the immune system, helps shorten the course of infection, and is beneficial for the recovery of the disease.
We do not encourage particularly aggressive defervescence. Rather than simple body temperature, parents should pay more attention to whether the fever has caused the child's discomfort and decide whether to use fever-reducing drugs. Speaking of this, many parents may ask: how to judge whether a sleeping child has a fever? Here are two ways to help everyone judge:
Compare with your child's usual sleep state
Generally speaking, if the baby still sleeps very peacefully when he has a fever, which is similar to the usual sleep state, indicating that the fever does not make him feel unwell, we do not need to wake up the child to take fever-reducing drugs. At this time, allowing the child to sleep and rest well is more conducive to the immune system to defeat pathogens and restore health. If the baby's sleep when he has a fever, compared with the usual sleep state, more frequent spontaneous awakening, turning over and over, not sleeping steadily, humming, or irritability, crying, then considering that the fever affects the child's comfort, it is recommended to wake the child to drink fever-reducing drugs.
Observe your child's facial movements
Children in sleep cannot describe their state, and parents can judge the comfort of fever by observing their child's expressions. There is a "Wong-Baker Facial Expression Pain Scale", which can be used to assess the comfort of children with acute fever aged 0~5 years old, which is simple, fast and convenient to practice, just compare and score: when the child's facial expression score is less than 6 during sleep, there is no need to wake up the child to take fever-reducing drugs; When your child's facial expression score is 6 or higher during sleep, it is recommended to wake your child with an oral fever reducer.
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There may also be parents who are worried that their children do not wake up with fever and take medicine, what should they do if they pass out? General fever by itself does not cause worsening or neurological damage. If your child has a high fever during sleep and triggers a coma, fever must not be the only symptom, it is usually accompanied by the following 6 symptoms, and it is necessary to seek medical attention promptly.
6 signs that your child has a fever after falling asleep and needs medical attention
1. See if there is a rash or marbling on your baby's body
2. See if your baby is pale and purple on his lips or limbs3. See if your baby is breathing rapidly< more than 60 breaths per minute at 2 months of age; 2~12 months old, more than 50 breaths/minute; 1~5 years old, breathing more than 40 times/min; Over 5 years of age, more than 30 breaths per minute. 4. See if the baby's heart rate is too fast< 1 year old, heart rate > 160 beats/min; 1~2 years old, heart rate > 150 beats/min; 2~5 years old, heart rate > 140 beats/min. 5. See if the baby has signs of dehydration, such as sunken eyes, loose skin, dry lips, poor skin elasticity, etc., or press the child's fingers with moderate pressure for 5 seconds and then release, see if the blood will return to its original position, and whether the skin will turn red again for more than 3 seconds. 6. Check whether the baby has convulsions, neck stiffness, the whole body bending back, etc.: If there is any uncertainty, especially for children with other diseases, it is recommended to seek medical attention in time. ⚠️
In general, children who are > 3 months old and have no underlying diseases, have a fever after falling asleep, and if they sleep peacefully and have no other discomfort, they really don't have to call up to take fever-reducing drugs. If you really want to do something, these two ways can make your fever more comfortable:
2 treatments to relieve fever at night1. Adjust the indoor temperature and turn on the air conditioner at around 22°C to keep the room at the right temperature, so that the baby does not have to wear bloated clothes and does not cover too thickly. Be careful not to blow the air conditioner at your baby. 2. Make the baby comfortable, appropriately increase or decrease clothingIf the child's hands and feet are cold or accompanied by trembling, you can appropriately increase the clothing or where it is cool, cover it, pay attention not to cover it too hot; If your child is sweaty, you can remove your child's excessive clothing and reduce the cover without convection wind in the room.
Of course, children do not get sick according to textbooks, and parents may often not be able to judge the specific degree of "shortness of breath", "dehydration" and "comfort". If you are really anxious, or feel that the child is wrong, you can trust your intuition, wake up the child to take fever-reducing drugs in time, or directly seek medical examination, evaluate the condition, and guide treatment.