Help, my child has a fever of 39, do I go to the emergency room?

You couldn’t do it, it had to happen one day: your little Jean-Eudes, 3 years old, has gout in his nose and a fever of 39.7.

He coughs a little, nothing serious, but you still wonder if you should take him to the local ER, because 39.7 displayed on a thermometer is a bit scary number.

When is it appropriate to take a feverish child to the emergency room?

The question was asked of the emergency pediatrician To be or not to be Toubib, who regularly shares his parents’ medical records on his social networks. With humor, pedagogy and benevolence, she spreads her wise advice to reassure all crazy parents. Last time you told us about dry drowning, that fake news. This time she informs us about the management of fever in the smallest of us:

As he says in the video above, the number indicated on the thermometer does not matter, what matters is to monitor the famous ” JRC “, know :

• There coloring the baby’s skin (if he has blue lips or extremities, it’s not that he’s turning into the Smurfs, it’s that you need to go to the hospital)
• His behavior 30 minutes after taking a dose of paracetamol: is it totally amorphous? YES ? Hop, let’s go see the white coats
• His breathing : Do you have difficulty breathing? Is his chest or her neck widening? Is it out of breath? Pin-pom!

What is alarming when a child has a fever is the tolerance he has for it. You may very well be 39 and leaping like a happy sheep on ecstasy. In this case, all the better, no need to land. If, on the other hand, one of the three points of the CCR is ticked, hurry, we don’t wait and we go there.

Also, do not hesitate to consult if your child’s fever lasts more than 5 full and continuous days, without interruption for 24 hours.

What to do if your child has a fever?

If your heir is a little hot, but his CCR is fine and there are no aggravating signs, you can help his body temperature drop a bit:

• Giving paracetamol if Jean-Eudes shows any discomfort (respecting the recommended doses, it will be a pity to shoot his liver in addition to the rest)
• Discovering it, taking off superfluous clothes to leave it in a bodice, or even in a diaper
• Avoid overheated rooms in the house
• Giving him water regularly

Also avoid the famous old-fashioned recipe that says you have to give a feverish child a hot bath: it’s uncomfortable for him, it makes him shiver, it’s not the best thing.

Obviously, in the slightest doubt, we consult a health professional, eh, we don’t tell you anything about it.