My wife sent a picture of 41-day-old Nayul fidgeting around. Our Monday felt neither like a weekend nor a regular weekday. 🥺 She's just playing at home like this... Today, I was gathering information about the vaccine Nayul will soon be getting as she approaches two months old. The 2-month vaccines include the 5-in-1 combination vaccine (Pentaxim), pneumonia bacteria, and for oral, there's Rotarix (or RotaTeq) for rotavirus prevention. As I was looking into what infections these vaccines prevent, I read about side effects like fever and muscle pain from the pneumonia vaccine. Currently, we don't have any fever medicine for Nayul at home...! Whether it's before the shot or after, it would be great if she doesn't get sick, but just in case, I looked up some basic ways to manage fever.
Newborn Fever
Fever in itself isn't a disease. It rather indicates the body's battle against an underlying infection or ailment. The body temperature can rise temporarily during this process. A slight temperature increase within a certain range isn't necessarily alarming. However, when it crosses certain thresholds, it requires attention. Depending on where the temperature is taken, 38°C for rectal, 37.5°C for oral, and 37.4°C for underarm are considered fevers. Anything 39°C or above is a high fever. The cause of fever might be due to vaccine side effects, as mentioned, but there are many reasons a baby can develop a fever.
[ Causes of Acute Fever - MSD Manual (For the general public) ]
👉 Respiratory infections from viruses like colds or the flu
👉 Viral gastroenteritis (digestive tract infection)
👉 Specific bacterial infections, especially ear infections (otitis media), pneumonia, and urinary tract infections, etc.
How to Manage Newborn Fever
If a child has a fever but is otherwise active and okay, there's usually no need to intervene. The following tips are based on when the child seems quite distressed. Always consider the child's state rather than the parent's perspective.
1. Taking fever-reducing medicine
It's recommended that babies like Nayul, under 3 months old, should consult a doctor if they have a fever. It's simpler to think that infants under 100 days shouldn't take over-the-counter fever medicine. When giving fever medicine, always follow a doctor's prescription. Common ingredients include "acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen". Aspirin can cause "Reye's syndrome (see below)", so it's not recommended. For babies older than 3 months, acetaminophen-based medicine is suitable. For those older than 6 months, ibuprofen-based medicine can be given (Dexibuprofen is also available, but avoid taking it together with ibuprofen). The dose should be calculated based on weight, not age. Don't hastily divide adult medicine for a baby (I recall doing this unknowingly when I was younger... 😅).
[ Note: Reye's Syndrome - Seoul Asan Hospital ]
Reye's syndrome symptoms include vomiting, fainting, confusion, hallucinations, agitation, and a deteriorating consciousness, potentially leading to liver failure, brain edema, and even death. Some might exhibit mild symptoms and then fully recover.
2. Maintain a cool environment
If the baby has a fever and seems to be shivering, don't dress them too warmly or cover them with blankets. Typically, babies have higher body temperatures than adults, so if you usually set the home temperature to 20-22°C, you can lower it to 18°C during a fever. Dress the baby lightly but don't let them get too cold, as shivering can raise the temperature.
3. Tepid water massage
If you can't give fever medicine or the fever persists after, massage the baby with a lukewarm wet cloth. If possible, wipe the baby down when the chills subside. Avoid cold water or directly soaking the baby in water, as this can make them shiver and increase the fever.
4. Hydrate
To prevent dehydration, ensure the baby gets enough fluids. For babies under 6 months like Nayul, their kidney function is still immature, so drinking water can be risky (as it can flush out essential salts through urine). For babies under 6 months, frequent breastfeeding is vital. For babies over 6 months that eat solids, they can drink water.
I wish Nayul doesn't get a fever or fall sick. But in case she does, it's good to be prepared. I wasn't familiar with the different types of fever medicine and their dosages, so it was an informative experience to look them up (even though Nayul is too young for them now, she's growing every day...👍). While the simplest thing might be to visit the doctor and get a prescription, it's good to be prepared in case of emergencies, even though I'll probably rush to the hospital if anything happens. 😅
Recorded on May 15, 2023