Every day, doctor Jimmy Mohamed answers your questions on the program Sans rendez-vous on Europe 1. Monday, he explains why the traditional method of giving a cool bath to a baby with a fever is ineffective, unpleasant. for the child and can also be dangerous.
It is a grandmother's practice: to give a cool bath to calm the fever of the babies. But beware, it is no longer recommended to use this method. It would be very unpleasant for the child, ineffective and even dangerous. Doctor Jimmy Mohamed explains why in the program Sans rendez-vous on Europe 1.
When a child has a fever, we don't try to fight the temperature.
We must not lower the number but treat the discomfort well.
And having him take a cool bath could give him more: I invite you when you have a fever to take a slightly cooler bath, it's very unpleasant!
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In addition, it has almost no impact on body temperature.
Finally, the smallest babies have a more fragile cardiovascular system than ours.
And if you put a baby in a cooler bath, even two degrees below his temperature, he may be unwell.
So, not only is it not effective, it is unpleasant, but can also be dangerous.
What can you do to bring down a baby's fever?
There are three simple things that work: getting babies to drink to fight dehydration, not overheating the room, and undressing the child.
But be careful, the child must not be in diaper.
It is often poorly tolerated.
We can simply leave them in bodysuits or avoid adding additional layers.
And then, if necessary, we can give paracetamol adapted to the weight of the child.
All other measures have proved ineffective.
When should you consult?
If the fever persists and the child is very uncomfortable, then a doctor should be consulted.
For infants under three months of age, consult systematically.
As a general rule, trust yourself if you find your child behaving abnormally, call the doctor. "