Associate Professor Velev explained that when kids run hot, it actually means their immune system is doing its job and creating a hostile environment for whatever bug invaded their body. Parents shouldn't freak out and start throwing antibiotics at viral infections just because the thermometer hits 38 or 38.5 degrees Celsius, though anything near 39 in toddlers under two warrants a doctor visit pretty quick.
He pointed out that small kids naturally run warmer and more erratic temperatures because their brain's thermostat is still figuring itself out, and their faster metabolism pumps out more heat. The normal range sits between 36 and 37.2 degrees, but mornings around 4 am show the lowest readings while evenings can push past 37. Parents need to watch how their kid acts overall instead of obsessing over numbers, since a happy, active child with a fever is way less concerning than one who's puking and refusing food.
Velev shut down the old vinegar compress trick as completely useless, saying modern medicine ditched that nonsense because vinegar just evaporates faster without actually cooling anything down. When temperatures spike dangerously high, hospitals use wrapped ice packs under armpits and in groin areas where major blood vessels run, which actually works, unlike slapping wet rags on foreheads.
He pointed out that small kids naturally run warmer and more erratic temperatures because their brain's thermostat is still figuring itself out, and their faster metabolism pumps out more heat. The normal range sits between 36 and 37.2 degrees, but mornings around 4 am show the lowest readings while evenings can push past 37. Parents need to watch how their kid acts overall instead of obsessing over numbers, since a happy, active child with a fever is way less concerning than one who's puking and refusing food.
Velev shut down the old vinegar compress trick as completely useless, saying modern medicine ditched that nonsense because vinegar just evaporates faster without actually cooling anything down. When temperatures spike dangerously high, hospitals use wrapped ice packs under armpits and in groin areas where major blood vessels run, which actually works, unlike slapping wet rags on foreheads.
