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Kids protest when mothers pull warm tights and overalls on them, force them to put on hats and mittens. They are happy to measure the depth of the puddles and try what taste like snow or an icicle, and therefore they get sick with a cold, then an ARVI. Pediatricians advise not to bring down the temperature if the thermometer shows no more than 38ºC. How to deal with a fever? Feed your baby pills? Or take advantage of folk experience? For example, a recipe with vinegar.
Compress Options
For patients from a year to 3 years, a cold compress is prepared, which is applied to the forehead. There are several reasons why you should prefer this option:
- The skin of young children is too sensitive to vinegar wipes, so rashes or irritation may appear after the procedure.
- A one-year-old baby will not be able to lie quietly under a sheet or thin blanket. He will ask to see his mother in his arms or start running around the room, and after rubbing himself with vinegar, the child should sweat and rest.
- Acetic vapors in large quantities are dangerous for infants and children up to 3-4 years old. Small doses do not harm the child, but when wiped, he inhales too much vapor and can be poisoned.
A relatively safe option with cotton socks. They should be clean and not too dense, it is advisable to choose thin summer varieties. Dip a pair of cotton in a vinegar solution, squeeze it well and put it on a child. A warm compress is prepared for this procedure, because from the cold the baby begins to act up and take off his socks, in which he should lie down for 10-15 minutes.
Children from 4-5 years old and schoolchildren are wiped, you can optionally put a wet bandage on their forehead. Some mothers use a cold solution, believing that it will lower the temperature faster. But it is better to dilute vinegar with warm water so that the patient is comfortable.
Ingredients and Dosages
It is important to remember that children's skin is softer and more sensitive than that of adults. If the baby is prone to allergies, you need to make a test: treat a small area on the wrist or elbow with a solution, wait 5-10 minutes. Are blisters appearing, is the skin itching or turning red? It is better to abandon the idea with vinegar and choose another option. Did the body react normally to the new ingredient? You can safely use it to lower the temperature.
The compress solution is prepared from table or apple cider vinegar. The concentration of the substance should not exceed 9%. No vinegar essences, otherwise the child is ensured a burn and poisoning. The process of preparing the solution is simple:
- Take distilled or boiled water, it is possible from the tap
- Preheat to 37–38 degrees
- On a part of vinegar 2-3 parts of a liquid
- Mix the components in a jar or glass; a stainless enameled saucepan or bowl is suitable
- Chop thoroughly and try a few drops of the solution. You should get a slightly acidic liquid with a characteristic vinegar odor.
If you overdo it with a table or apple ingredient, the child will get irritated. In a compress for children from 7–8 years old, it is allowed to add a spoonful of vodka so that the temperature drops in a matter of minutes. Alcohol is contraindicated for preschoolers even for external use.
Instead of vodka, essential oils are used:
- radiant eucalyptus;
- lavender;
- tea tree;
- spherical eucalyptus.
On a spoonful of apple or table vinegar, 2–4 drops of an essential additive. Oils soothe, remove inflammation and help the baby's body cope with a cold.Eucalyptus and tea tree have antibacterial and disinfectant properties, and lavender is recommended for babies who suffer from insomnia caused by fever.
Action algorithm
To open and undress the young patient to underwear, you can leave the socks. Dampen a piece of fleece or cotton cloth in a warm solution, a soft sponge is also suitable. Squeeze until rag is slightly damp. Treat the wrists and the area under the knees, armpits and inguinal zone. Make sure that the solution does not get on the genitals of the child. If the thermometer shows 39ºC and above, you should wet your forehead, collarbone with vinegar, and wipe the lower and upper limbs with a damp cloth. It is advisable not to touch the chest, especially the area of the heart. Treat the heels and palms, constantly change the compress on the forehead. As soon as the fabric begins to heat up, it is dipped in a bowl of solution.
After wiping the child, do not put it on, but cover it with a thin sheet. Some babies complain that they are cold, but they should not be given a blanket. You need to be patient a bit so that the temperature drops as quickly as possible.
How to help a child? Prepare raspberry or linden tea, drink cranberry, currant or lingonberry warm drink. Give only a warm drink in which you can put a little honey and a slice of lemon. Let the baby drink tea in small sips.
The body needs a lot of fluid, at least 250 ml, and preferably 2-3 cups. Vinegar degreases the skin, so droplets of sweat evaporate faster, the body cools, and the temperature drops. But the body is dehydrated due to intense sweating. It is important to regularly replenish water in the body so that the immune system can quickly cope with a cold.
Tip: If the child does not want tea, he can be offered dried fruit compote or warm milk. Weakened babies benefit from light chicken broth made from breast without skin and fat. You can not add spices and vegetables to the dish, you can put a small pinch of salt.
The child needs to rub the skin gently. Do not press hard or use hard tissue so as not to damage the epithelium. Particles of vinegar fall into small cracks, which cause intoxication of the child's body.
If the baby has a fever, and the thermometer mark is close to 40 degrees, you need to put the cloth soaked in the solution on the wrists and ankles. Periodically change the compress until the young patient becomes easier.
Precautionary measures
Knocking down the temperature with vinegar, you need to keep a thermometer on hand. Every 10-20 minutes to check how the folk remedy helped. It is important to stop at around 37.5–37 degrees. If you lower the body temperature to the usual 36.6, the body stops fighting, and the common cold begins to attack the child twice as much.
Ventilate the young patient's room regularly so that it is cool in the room. You can not wrap a child in ten blankets, pulling terry pajamas over tights. Vinegar is an emergency measure, and for it to work faster, the undressed baby should be slightly cooled. But children should not lie in a draft, therefore, during ventilation, the patient is transferred to another room.
You can not use acetic solution if the child's lower and upper limbs are cold, like ice, and his forehead and trunk are glowing with heat. Symptoms indicate vasoconstriction and impaired circulation. In such cases, the children are given No-shpa and urgently call an ambulance. A vinegar compress will only harm the patient and worsen his health.
Modern mothers continue to use grandmother's recipes, considering them more natural and effective. But even vinegar solutions, which are safer than alcohol rubbing, do not always help. If the home method does not give the expected result, and the child’s temperature does not decrease, you need to immediately call a doctor and fight fever with traditional medication methods.
Video: how to lower the temperature of children without medication
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