What is thermoregulation?
So, let's start with the theory. The process of regulating body temperature is usually replaced by one convenient word - thermoregulation. In the brain there is a special center responsible for the regulation of body temperature. The cells of the thermoregulatory center receive signals from special sensitive nerve cells, which are called thermoreceptors. Thermoreceptors are found in almost all organs and tissues, but most of all in the skin. The human thermoregulatory center is heterogeneous, it consists of two groups of cells. Some are responsible for heat production, others are responsible for heat transfer. Human metabolism is accompanied by heat production. This is heat production. From the heat produced, the body must be disposed of - it is heat transfer. Since the temperature of the human body is stable, this means that in health, how much heat will be produced, so much and lost. Thus, heat production and heat transfer are in a state of stable equilibrium, and in the absolute majority of people this balance is reflected by the number 36.6 ° C.
What temperature can be considered normal for a child?
The temperature of the child's body is different from that of an adult. A healthy newborn, for example, has an average of 0.3 C higher than the body temperature of the mother. Immediately after birth, body temperature decreases by 1-2 C, but after 12-24 hours it rises to 36-37 ° C. In the first 3 months of life it is unstable and very much depends on external factors (sleep, food, swaddling, air parameters). Nevertheless, the range of diurnal temperature fluctuations at this age does not exceed 0.6 CC, and in children older than 3 years it reaches 1 C. Numerous studies show that in children under five years the average body temperature exceeds that of adults by 0.3 -0.4 C.
Why does the body temperature rise?
The reasons for the increase in temperature can be several, for example, with intense physical activity (actively contracting muscles produce a huge amount of heat for a short time, which the body can not dump), if the normal heat transfer mechanisms are broken (the child is too warmly dressed, the room is very warm) . But most often the body temperature rises, if something affects the center of thermoregulation. Under this "something" are hidden pyrogens - biologically active substances that cause an increase in body temperature.Pirogens are the causative agents of most infections (bacteria, viruses, protozoa, parasites) .At the center of thermoregulation, pirogens seem to set a new standard for it (not 36.6 , and, for example, 39 ° C), to which the body begins to strive, first, by increasing heat production (by activating the metabolism or causing trembling), and secondly, by reducing heat transfer (limiting blood circulation in the skin, reducing sweat production).
How to understand what the baby is sick, if the body temperature is increased?
The rise in temperature above the norm is always due to some specific cause. We have already touched on some of them - overheating, infection, swelling, trauma, emotional stress, teething, and the use of certain medications, etc. Remember that the rise in body temperature is one of the symptoms, after analyzing the others, the doctor makes a diagnosis. And in the overwhelming majority of cases, it is quite obvious:
1. temperature + diarrhea = intestinal infection;
2. temperature + pain in the ear = otitis;
3. temperature + snot and cough = acute respiratory viral infection, or ARVI (usually the most common cause of fever in children);
4.Temperature + itching and swelling of the gums = teeth are cut;
5. temperature + rash with vesicles = chickenpox;
6.Temperatura + swallow very painful, in the throat, abscesses = sore throat.
The main thing that I would like to draw your parents' attention to: no matter how obvious the diagnosis may seem to you, the doctor should still give the name to the disease, and it is the doctor who must determine how this detected and already named illness is treated!
At elevated temperature, the effectiveness of phagocytosis increases. Phagocytosis is the ability of specific immune cells - phagocytes - to capture and digest microorganisms, foreign particles, and the like.
Increased body temperature leads to a decrease in appetite, mobilizing the digestive system to combat infectious agents.
Increased temperature significantly reduces motor activity. A great way to save energy and send it to a more appropriate channel.
The raised temperature of a body informs parents about the fact of disease, allows to estimate gravity of a situation and in due time to address for medical aid.
Fluctuations in body temperature have specific patterns in a number of diseases and at certain stages of the disease. Knowledge of these patterns contributes to adequate diagnosis.
Body temperature is an important indicator of the dynamics of the disease and the effectiveness of the treatment. And whatever we say here, there is a lot of bad in high temperature.
What's wrong with raising the temperature?
First of all, it is a subjectively unpleasant sensation: it's hot, then cold, then you sweat, then the tooth does not get on the tooth - in general, what is explained here, most parents of the "charm" fever had the opportunity to experience firsthand.
Increased body temperature activates the loss of body fluids. Firstly, because breathing quickens, and, consequently, more fluid is lost to the humidification of the inhaled air, and, secondly, because there is a pronounced sweating. These abnormal, excess fluid losses (also called pathological losses) lead to blood thickening. As a consequence - the violation of blood supply to many organs and tissues, drying out of mucous membranes, a decrease in the effectiveness of drugs.
Increased body temperature seriously affects the behavior and mood of the child: crying, lethargy, capriciousness, unwillingness to respond to the requests of the parents. All this, in turn, affects the effectiveness of treatment: at least a child with normal temperature to persuade to drink medicine is much easier.
Increased body temperature leads to an increase in the body's need for oxygen - approximately every degree of temperature above normal, the oxygen demand increases by 13%.
A specific feature of the nervous system of young children (up to about five years) - high body temperature can provoke cramps. Such cramps are not uncommon, they even received a special name "febrile seizures" (from the Latin febris - "fever"). Probability of febrile seizures is significantly higher in children with diseases of the nervous system.
The increased temperature of the child's body is a serious stress for his parents. This information is not known to a wide circle of the parental community, therefore, a child's temperature increase is often accompanied by panic and numerous comments with the use of words "burned out", "lost", "left for life" ... Inadequate psychoemotional reactions induce active treatment in a variety of ways, to unsubstantiated and often risky experiments.The nervous state of the pope and his mother, either voluntarily or involuntarily, affects the actions of a doctor who is forced to prescribe medication not so much to reduce t mperatury body of the child, how to limit the passions.
When should the temperature be "treated"?
It's not a secret for anyone that every person (adult or child - not fundamentally) has different temperature changes in the body. There are children who jump, jump and are asked to eat at 39.5 C, and there are whining, lying and suffering in every way at 37.5 S. The baby is bad, but the thermometer showed only 37.5 C. What does the thermometer have to do with it? To the child it is bad - let's actively help (ie to apply medicines). Or fever severely affects the behavior of the child: neither feed, nor drink, nor put ... Let's lower the temperature of the body and we'll negotiate.
Again, note that appoint a drug therapy should be a doctor!
How to help a fever-free child without medication?
No wonder we began this conversation with the definitions and interpretation of the mechanisms of thermoregulation. Now it is clear: in order to reduce the temperature in a natural way, it is necessary to lower heat production and increase heat transfer. Here are a few ways to achieve this:
Motor activity increases heat production, while peaceful joint reading or viewing of cartoons reduces the heat production accordingly.
Cries-screams, hysterics and emotional methods of clarifying the relationship increase heat production.
The optimum air temperature in the room where the child is at an elevated body temperature is approximately 20 ± 25 C, with 18 ° C better than 22 ° C.
The body loses heat through the formation and subsequent evaporation of sweat, but the effective implementation of this heat transfer mechanism is possible only when there is something to sweat. It is not surprising in this connection that the timely delivery of liquid into the body is one of the main ways to help with increasing body temperature. In other words, a copious drink. Than to give a drink to a baby? Ideal - the so-called rehydrating agents for oral administration. Such drugs are sold in pharmacies (for example, Gastrolit, Hydrovit, Glukosolan, Regidrare, Regidron). They contain sodium, potassium, chlorine and other substances necessary for the body. Powder, tablet or granules are diluted with boiled water, and a ready solution is obtained. How else can you give a drink to a baby? Tea (black, green, fruity, with raspberries, lemon or finely chopped apples); compote of dried fruits (apples, raisins, dried apricots, prunes); decoction of raisins (a tablespoon of raisins steamed 200 ml of boiling water in a thermos juice).
Be healthy!