Are there any potential risks or side effects of giving fever-reducing injections to babies?
Children often have poor physical resistance and are prone to health issues, with fever being a very common problem. It is important to promptly address fever in children. If the fever is low, physical methods can be used to reduce it. However, in cases of high fever, it is necessary to consider using medication or even injection to reduce the fever. When considering injection for fever reduction, many parents worry about potential side effects on their child's body.
1. Fever-reducing injections are considered the least safe option, as some children may even experience allergic shock. Currently, there are no allergy tests specifically for fever-reducing injections. Therefore, they should only be considered as a last resort when oral fever medication cannot be used (such as in cases of severe vomiting or fasting) and rectal suppositories are not an option (such as in severe diarrhea). When all other methods have failed to reduce the fever, fever-reducing injections may be considered.
2. Fever-reducing injections typically work by suppressing the central nervous system to achieve fever reduction. However, as children's central nervous systems are not fully developed, frequent injections can cause irreversible harm.
1. Fever-reducing medication should not be used to prevent febrile seizures or as a prophylactic measure. Therefore, it is not recommended to actively administer fever-reducing medication to children with a fever above 38.5°C.
2. The goal of fever reduction is to improve the child's comfort level. If the child's temperature exceeds 38.5°C but they are still alert and showing no signs of discomfort, fever reduction may not be necessary. Conversely, if the child's temperature is below 38.5°C but they are lethargic, tired, or experiencing pain, fever-reducing medication may be administered. If the medication does not improve the child's discomfort, consideration should be given to switching to another medication. Fever-reducing medication should not be administered solely for the purpose of reducing fever.
3. The use of fever-reducing medication should also be considered when parents are excessively anxious about their child's elevated temperature.
4. Physical cooling methods (such as warm water baths, ice packs, or alcohol rubs) are no longer recommended. Although warm water baths may help reduce temperature, they can increase discomfort for children. Ice packs do not effectively reduce temperature and can cause shivering, goosebumps, crying, and other new discomforts. Alcohol rubs are also problematic and not recommended.
5. Children with fever should not be overdressed or underdressed.
6. The severity of the illness cannot be determined solely based on the height or duration of the fever. Similarly, the speed and degree of temperature reduction after administering fever-reducing medication do not accurately reflect the severity of the illness. Instead, a comprehensive assessment should be made based on the child's age, mental status, respiration, heart rate, blood pressure, capillary refill time, peripheral transcutaneous oxygen saturation, and accompanying symptoms such as cough, vomiting, diarrhea, and rash.
