Causes Of Fever In Children
In children, fever is a common symptom, which needs to be controlled quickly. This occurs when the little one has a higher body temperature than normal. The good news is that, in most cases, you shouldn’t be overly concerned.
Fever is not an illness, but rather a symptom that indicates that the body is fighting an infection. In fact, it is a protective mechanism of the body that stimulates natural defense reactions.
In fact, it is possible that when children have a fever, it can be difficult for parents to determine the causes. In most cases, the fever is due to a non-serious viral infection.
Many infections in children produce a fever for up to 48 hours before other related symptoms appear. Next, we discover the main causes that cause fever in children.
Possible causes of fever in children
Fever is often the result of a normal reaction related to an infection in the child’s body. Depending on the evolution and the symptoms that accompany it, it is possible to identify the exact cause of the fever in order to take the appropriate measures.
1. Viral infections
Infections related to the presence of a virus in the body are the most common reason. In fact, this is usually the first symptom of a viral infection, which can also easily spread with just physical contact.
This type of infection causes many common illnesses, such as colds, coughs, flu, or diarrhea; sometimes it can even cause more serious ones.
However, most viral fevers in children last 3 to 4 days. Other types of fevers can last longer, due to influenza or mononucleosis.
2. Bacterial infections
Bacterial infections are considered less common than viral infections, but they can also cause fever. These types of bacteria are more likely to cause serious illnesses, such as pneumonia, joint infections, urinary tract infections, kidney infections, sepsis, and meningitis.
On the other hand, you should take into consideration that bacteria can also cause fever in less serious infections, such as ear infections and skin rashes.
3. Appearance of teeth
For babies, the appearance of teeth is often accompanied by episodes of fever. It is usually around 6 months, when the first teeth appear. This advancement of the gums over the teeth can temporarily lead to a slight increase in body temperature and hence a fever.
Likewise, older children can suffer from tooth abscess, a painful bacterial infection that is usually caused by tooth decay, and which can also be accompanied by a fever.
4. Vaccination
Occasionally, children develop a fever after vaccination. In fact, many vaccines are designed to make the immune system think it is detecting an infection, allowing it to build immunity.
The fever after vaccination is not usually high or prolonged. It is triggered by most vaccines, starts within 24 hours, and lasts 1 to 2 days.
5. Allergies
Symptoms of allergies generally include sneezing, watery eyes, a runny nose, or even a rash. However, allergies cannot cause a fever.
However, sometimes they make a child’s body vulnerable to a bacterial or viral infection, which can cause a fever.
6. Inflammatory diseases
Inflammation can be a possible cause of fever. One of the most common inflammatory diseases that can be a source of fever in children is rheumatic fever.
Be aware that inflammatory disease can cause permanent heart damage and heart failure. In most cases, it affects children ages 5 to 15.
7. Some medications
As already mentioned above, one of the main causes of fever is bacterial and viral infections. However, medications can also be involved.
This fever is induced by the administration of a medication. In fact, this is an undesirable effect of some potentially implicated medications, such as, among others, antibiotics and systemic antinfectives, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and some herbal remedies.
8. Other causes
In addition to the triggers mentioned above, there are others that can cause fever in children, such as food poisoning, excessive sun exposure, or vigorous physical activity in the sun.
Lastly, fever generally does not require immediate medical intervention. In fact, in many cases of infections, it goes away spontaneously after 48 hours.
