Fever in Children, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention, Complications

Fever in Children, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention, Complications

Fever in children is a condition when a child's body temperature exceeds 37°C. Fever itself is not a disease, but a symptom of another disease or condition. Although it doesn't always require treatment, fever in children needs to be watched out for, especially if it occurs frequently or is accompanied by other symptoms.

Normal body temperature in children ranges from 36–37°C. Fever is defined as a body temperature that is more than 37.2°C when measured in the armpit, more than 37.8°C when measured in the mouth, or above 38°C when measured in the rectum.

If your child's body feels warmer, such as if their forehead is warm to the touch, use a thermometer to measure their temperature. However, do not use a thermometer filled with mercury or mercury, because it will be very dangerous if it breaks.

Symptoms and Complications of Fever in Children

Fever in children is characterized by an increase in body temperature. Based on the underlying disease, other symptoms may also accompany it, such as chills, headache, fuss and vomiting.

Under certain conditions, fever in children has the risk of causing complications in the form of febrile seizures. Even so, febrile seizures are generally not classified as a dangerous condition.

Treatment and Prevention of Fever in Children

Fever in children does not always require treatment. In most cases, a fever only needs to be treated if it is causing your child discomfort.

Fever can be relieved with fever reducers. However, consult your doctor first before giving any medicine to your child.

Just like fever in general, fever in children can be prevented by avoiding conditions that can cause fever.

Causes of Fever in Children

Fever occurs as a sign that the immune system is working against the cause of the disease. There are various conditions that can cause fever in children, namely:

• Viral infections, such as upper respiratory tract infections (ARI), dengue fever, pneumonia, or roseola
• Bacterial infections, such as tuberculosis (TB), urinary tract infections, diphtheria, ear infections, rheumatic fever, or meningitis
• Other infections, such as malaria
• Inflammation, such as Kawasaki disease, arthritis, rheumatic heart disease
• Allergic reaction to certain drugs
• Post-immunization adverse events (AEFI)
• Blood transfusion
• Teething
• Heatstroke, caused by being outside too long when the weather is hot, taking a hot shower, exercising, or wearing clothes that are too thick
• Cancer, such as leukemia or Wilms tumor

Symptoms of Fever in Children

The main symptom of fever is an increase in body temperature which reaches 38°C or more, when measured with a thermometer. In response to an increase in body temperature, other symptoms may also occur, such as:

• The body feels hot to the touch
• Increased or decreased sweat production
• The skin looks pale or reddish
• Increase or decrease in urine volume
• The child wants to be in a cool or warm place
• Fussy
• The child looks more sleepy
• shivers
• Not wanting to suckle, drink, or eat

When to See a Doctor

Immediately see a doctor if:

• Body temperature measured rectally is 38°C or higher in children younger than 3 months
• Body temperature of 38.9°C or more, in children aged 3-6 months
• Body temperature over 38.9°C, in children aged 6–24 months
• Body temperature over 40°C, at any age

In addition to a number of conditions above, immediately consult a child to the doctor if other symptoms appear that accompany a fever, such as:

• Not wanting to suckle, drink, or eat
• Prolonged diarrhea or vomiting
• Fever does not go away after 1 day (in children younger than 2 years) or 2 days (in children aged 2 years or older)
• Often have a fever, even if it only lasts a few hours
• Symptoms of dehydration, such as infrequent urination, no tears when crying, or looking weak
• skin rash
• Pain in the ear
• Sore throat
• Pain when urinating

Seek immediate medical attention if your child has more serious symptoms, including:

• Won't stop crying
• Crying in a high-pitched voice, but sounding weak
• Very finicky
• Hard to breathe
• Looks lethargic and often sleepy
• A rash or purplish spots appear that resemble bruises on the skin
• Blue lips, tongue or fingernails
• The soft part of the baby's head looks protruding or concave inward
• Neck feels stiff
• Severe headache
• Severe stomach pain
• Looks limp or lazy to move
• Difficulty breathing that doesn't get better after cleaning the nose
• seizures
• Loss of consciousness

Diagnosis of Fever in Children

Fever in children can be suspected from an increase in body temperature. The trick is to put your hand on the child's skin. Even so, this method cannot give the right result.

Therefore, it is advisable to use a digital thermometer that can be used in the mouth, armpit or rectum. However, rectal examination is preferred for accurate results.

Examination of fever by a doctor aims to detect the disease that underlies the occurrence of fever. The doctor will begin the examination by asking about your and your child's medical history, followed by carrying out a physical examination of the child.

To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor will carry out the following examinations:

• Blood Test

Blood tests aim to detect bacterial or viral infections. Through blood samples, doctors can find out how well a child's immune system is. Doctors can also examine blood samples to measure electrolyte levels in children, to detect dehydration.

• Urine Test

The doctor will check the child's urine sample to see the possibility of infection in the urinary tract. If needed, the doctor can also run a urine culture to detect the possibility of bacteria in the urine.

• X-ray photo

X-ray examination is done to see the condition of the chest, lungs, or heart. X-rays are taken if a fever in a child is accompanied by symptoms of coughing, chest pain or shortness of breath.

• Lumbar Puncture

Lumbar puncture examination is performed on children suspected of having meningitis. In this examination, the doctor will insert a needle into the spinal fissure to take a sample of spinal fluid, then examine it in the laboratory.

Fever Treatment in Children

Not all fevers in children need to be treated. In many cases, treatment is only given if the fever makes the child feel uncomfortable or fussy.

In such conditions, paracetamol or ibuprofen can be given to relieve fever. However, consult with your doctor first before giving any medication, so that the dose given is according to the child's age and weight.

Keep in mind, don't give any medicine to children under 2 months of age without a doctor's recommendation. Also, do not use aspirin to reduce fever in children, unless advised by a doctor. In rare cases, aspirin can trigger Reye's syndrome in children.

Apart from administering medication, parents can help reduce a child's fever by making the following efforts:

• Adjust the temperature of the child's room so that it is not too hot or too cold.
• Give light clothes and blankets. Do not put thick clothes and blankets on children so that their body heat is not trapped and makes their body temperature rise.
• Maintain fluid intake in children to prevent dehydration. The fluids given are adjusted to the child's age, which can be in the form of breast milk, ORS, or water.
• Don't force your child to eat too much, but give food in moderation.
• Make sure the child has enough rest before continuing the activity. New children may return to activities if the fever has subsided for at least 24 hours.

If the child's fever is quite severe, the doctor will provide the following treatment:

• Administering antibiotics, to treat bacterial infections
• Stay in the hospital, to treat a more serious infection, such as meningitis
• IV fluids, to treat dehydration

Fever Complications in Children


Fever in children aged 6 months to 5 years can trigger febrile seizures. Although it looks worrying, febrile seizures generally do not cause serious effects.

If your child has a febrile seizure, take the following steps:

• Open or loosen child's clothing.
• Do not put any object in the child's mouth.
• Place the child in a lying position on his side or resting on his stomach on the floor.
• Remove sharp objects from the reach of children.
• Keep holding the child to prevent injury.
• Calculate the duration of the child's seizures.

Do not try to stop a child's seizures, as they usually stop on their own. After the seizures stop, take the child to the doctor so that the cause of fever in children can be found out. If the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes, seek medical attention immediately.

Fever Prevention in Children

Prevention of fever in children can be done by avoiding the underlying disease. Prevention must be done by all family members, including by teaching children to do the same thing. Prevention efforts that can be done include:

• Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, especially before eating, after going to crowded places, near sick people, after touching animals, or after going to the toilet
• Bring hand sanitizer, just in case there is no water and soap
• Always cover mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing
• Avoid touching areas that are prone to germs, such as the mouth, nose or eyes
• Do not share cutlery and drink with other people
• Give the child to drink enough water
• Eat healthy, nutritionally complete and balanced food so that the child's nutritional needs are met so that the child's resistance is strong
• Make sure the child gets enough sleep and rest

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