Due to the immature immune function of babies and the many factors in the external environment that can affect their physical health, colds and fevers are very common. Almost every family will have a thermometer on hand, and when parents discover that their baby may have a fever, they will take their baby's temperature. So, does a baby's 37.6 count as having a fever?
Does a baby's 37.6 count as having a fever
It is generally believed that the normal axillary temperature is 36-37 ℃. According to the degree of fever, it can be classified into four types.
1. Low fever, with a body temperature of 37.3-38 ℃. If the duration of low-grade fever exceeds one month, it is considered a long-term low-grade fever.
2. Moderate fever, with a body temperature of 38.1-39 ℃. If the fever persists for 2 weeks or longer, it is considered long-term moderate fever.
3. High fever, with a body temperature between 39.1-41 ℃. If the fever persists for 2 weeks or longer, it is considered long-term high fever.
4. Ultra high fever refers to a body temperature above 41 ℃. Ultra high heat poses a certain risk to life.
A baby's body temperature of 37.6 ℃ is considered low-grade fever. Regardless of the cause of the fever, the cause must be identified and treated accordingly.
What diseases can a baby's fever cause
1. Dehydration and acid-base imbalance disorder. High fever can easily cause dehydration, and also result in the loss of water in the body when taking antipyretics and sweating excessively. Dehydration not only makes it difficult to reduce fever, but also affects metabolism and blood circulation, leading to acidosis. At the same time, the concentration of sodium in the blood increases, and the blood becomes hypertonic. Children may experience dry mouth, thirst, restlessness, even talking nonsense or convulsing. The heat not only does not subside but also increases, which may lead to hyponatremia, which is more common in infants and young children with malnutrition.
2. Febrile convulsion. Some children may experience convulsions when they have a fever, which often occurs when the fever suddenly rises. A fever usually occurs once, rarely more than twice. As long as the convulsions are not long and treated properly, the impact on the child's health is not significant.
3. Brain edema. When the body temperature exceeds 41 ℃, proteins in the body will decompose, which can cause brain edema and lead to the death of sick children or the sequelae of brain disease. Therefore, when a child experiences high fever above 40 ℃, emergency treatment is necessary.
Fever is quite common in babies, and measuring a baby's body temperature of 37.6 ℃ can already be considered a low-grade fever. Parents can use a wet towel to wipe the baby's body to cool it down, or use some fever reducing patches to cool the baby down. If the baby's body temperature continues to increase, parents must take the baby to the hospital as soon as possible to avoid delaying the onset of serious illnesses.
