When a child is suffering from a fever, instead of giving him/her a medicine one should use some home remedies to bring the fever down. This article will guide you on reducing fever in children naturally with simple steps.
The important thing to keep in mind in order to reduce fever is to bring down the body temperature and prevent dehydration. The first thing to do is to take your child’s temperature. Try these remedies if your child has a fever that is less than 103°F, otherwise consult a doctor.
A temperature of less than 103°F is actually beneficial as it kills the microbes which enter the body. This fever is known as low-grade fever, which has to be treated in case it is continually recurring, because a persistent low-grade fever indicates other serious health disorders. If you have a child who is younger than 6 months and has a fever of 101°F or higher, consult a doctor.
How to Reduce Fever in Toddlers Naturally
Step 1: Dressing Them in Light Clothes
The first step is to dress them up in light clothing or remove all their clothing. This allows heat loss through the skin. Do not cover the child’s head and feet, as the parts of the body from where the heat first escapes are the head and the feet.
Step 2: Drinking Water
It is very important that you constantly keep your child hydrated, as a lot of dehydration occurs when one is suffering from fever. Keep a bottle of water by the child’s bed and ensure that he/she keeps consuming water. Water helps to bring down the body temperature and replenishes the fluid content of the body that is lost due to fever. You can also give fresh fruit juices or fresh fruits like watermelons and cucumbers. These fruits are nutritious and have over 90% water content.
Step 3: Using Cold Strips
Take normal water in two bowls and dip cotton cloth strips in one bowl. Wring it and place these strips on the child’s forehead and feet. After 2 – 3 minutes, remove the strips and dip the cloth pieces in the second bowl and wring them. Again dip them in the first bowl and repeat the whole process. Alternatively, you can give the child a sponge bath. Undress the child and dip sponge in lukewarm water and bathe the whole body using the sponge. This method is an effective solution. Using cloth strips or giving a sponge bath greatly helps in reducing fever in the child naturally.
Step 4: Rubbing Paste
It is widely believed that using garlic, onion, potato, or egg white helps to bring down fever. You can try any one of the below home remedies to reduce fever naturally.
Make a paste of fresh garlic cloves, and apply around ¼ inch of the paste on a gauze bandage. Smear some olive oil on the feet of the child to prevent any irritation from the garlic. Apply these pads with garlic paste on the soles of your child’s feet and hold them in place by wrapping it with gauze bandage. Make sure you don’t completely cover the feet of the child as some open space is required to allow the heat to escape. You can leave these pads on overnight.
You can also try a remedy with egg whites to decrease fever in infants. Take two washcloths, dip them in egg white and cover the soles of your child’s feet with these cloth pieces, and hold the cloth in place by wrapping with gauze. Egg whites have an amazing capability of instantaneously bringing the body temperature down. Egg whites are extremely effective for bringing down fever but if you don’t have eggs, you can also make pads of onion or potato paste. Like garlic pads, use gauge to wrap these pads around your child’s feet.
These were the measures you could use to reduce fever in children. Also, let the child rest and don’t allow him/her to move too much, as movement raises the body temperature.
Disclaimer: This Buzzle article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.
