Childhood Fevers Remedies, Treatment, Prevention and Management

What are the causes of fever in children?

Almost all childhood fevers are caused by viruses. They have no particular treatment. A dosage of Paracetamol and sponging are beneficial.

What are the different types of childhood fever?

Some of the fevers like Chicken pox, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Whooping Cough have a characteristic incubation period.

Incubation period comprises of time from when the disease is contracted till the appearance of first symptoms (usually fever).

When the symptoms are obvious and diagnosis is made, the public health department should be informed. This helps them to keep a check on the occurrence of many infectious illnesses in the surroundings.

Some of the significant features of Common Childhood Fevers

Fever Type: Chicken Pox in Children

The incubation period varies from thirteen to Twenty one days.
Exclusion period is about five days from the onset of rash. Women in the first four weeks of pregnancy should be kept away from the patient.
Clinical Features- large number of blisters (swelling on the skin containing watery liquid) appears on the trunk (part of the human body excluding head, arms and legs).

Fever Type: Erythema Infectiosum (Fifth disease or Slapped Cheeked Syndrome)

Incubation period varied from seven to fourteen days.
Exclusion period – None.
Clinical features – There is mild illness accompanied by a slapped cheek appearance.

Fever Type: Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease in Children

Incubation period varies from three to five days.
Exclusion period – None.
Clinical Features – Spots start appearing on the hands, feet and roof of mouth and also on buttocks and back of legs.

Fever Type: Children affected by Measles

Incubation period ranges from eight to thirteen days.
Exclusion period – A few days before the rash appears until five days after it has gone.
Clinical Features – Initially it appears like very bad cold with catarrh and fever. Rash appears on the third and fourth day and spreads almost everywhere on the body. Children often feel very unwell.

Fever Type: Children with Mumps

Incubation period ranges from fourteen to twenty one days.
Exclusion period – Five days from the onset of swollen glands.
Clinical Features – The glands may swell and become large under the chin and in cheek. The swelling usually appears on both the sides. But in some cases it may appear on one side.

Fever Type: Roseola infantum

Incubation period is for about ten days.
Exclusion period – None.
Clinical Features – At first there is high temperature. As fever subsides, within one to three days a finely spread rash appears. The rash does not last long.

Fever Type: Rubella

Incubation period varies from fourteen to twenty one days.
Exclusion period – Seven days prior to the appearance of the rash and about five days after the appearance of the rash.
Clinical Features – Usually there is mild illness. And after a bath a fine rash that is more obvious appears.

Scarlet Fever in Children – (caused by bacteria)

Incubation period varies from two to five days.
Exclusion period – Five days from commencing antibiotics.
Clinical Features – Rash appears over face, trunk and tongue (strawberry tongue). There is an attack of tonsillitis. Skin starts peeling especially of the fingers.

Fever in Children and Whooping Cough – (Child remains infectious until seven days of proper treatment)

Incubation period varies from seven to ten days.
Exclusion period – Up to three weeks from commencement of cough.
Clinical Features – There is fever, development of catarrh followed by bouts of cough. There is presence or absence of whoop. And it can go on for weeks.

Symptoms of Childhood Fevers

One of the first signs of illness in a child is a raised temperature.
The child’s face maybe flushed.
And the skin may turn warmer than usual to touch.
In viral illnesses the temperature fluctuates up and down for the first two days of illness prior to other symptoms.