The forehead is cold and the child has a temperature of 38

When a child has a high temperature, every mother understands that he is sick. But what if the child is cold? If the thermometer shows below 36 degrees for a long time, this should also be a cause for concern, since such changes are not always harmless and may indicate a number of disorders and diseases.

Why is the child hot, but there is no temperature?

Sometimes a mother may notice that the child’s earlobes and cheeks are red in the morning, and even after some time the redness does not go away. If there have been no major changes in the child’s diet recently, then everything is fine.

But sometimes the redness does not go away during the day, and the child himself remains hot. So, why is the child hot, but no temperature?

In cases where, in addition to external heat, there is a clear rash in the area of the child’s arms and legs, we are talking about atypical dermatitis.

But sometimes the reason that a child is hot but there is no temperature may turn out to be completely banal. After all, this may be a reaction to prolonged exposure to the sun.

Fever, red rashes, redness of the ears and cheeks may well be symptoms of parovirus, which, by the way, parents may well confuse with rubella. In this case, it is better to contact a pediatrician for a diagnosis, who will prescribe a series of tests. Although rubella can also be the cause of this condition in the baby.

It is quite possible that if a child does not have a fever, but is hot, then he develops scarlet fever. This is a disease from the group of infectious childhood diseases.

One way or another, you shouldn’t think about something serious right away. Not all parents remember that until the age of two, children continue to set their body temperature. Therefore, such “temperature jumps” may well be a variant of the norm. Moreover, in children it is considered normal for the temperature to rise up to 37.5, if there are no visual symptoms of disease and the baby feels well.

Very often, after the birth of a newborn child in the house, his parents have to face various difficulties regarding his upbringing. A symptom such as a cold forehead is a normal phenomenon that many parents have to deal with. If you are concerned about this phenomenon, you need to palpate the rest of the baby’s limbs to make sure that the process of thermoregulation is not disrupted.

Very often, when parents come to see a pediatrician, they start asking the doctor ridiculous questions that evoke different feelings in him.

If the temperature is 39

To fight disease, the body produces interferon, a protein that fights bacteria and infection. The higher the child's temperature rises, the more this protein is produced.

This is why doctors do not recommend taking antipyretic drugs until the temperature reaches at least 38.5 degrees. For adults, this figure is 39 degrees, since at this temperature the body fights the disease more effectively.

But if the immune system does not work properly, vasospasm can occur, during which there is cooling of the extremities and an increase in temperature to 41 degrees.

You should call a doctor immediately if:

the patient cannot drink;
fever lasts more than 48 hours (for a child under 2 years old, from 24 to 48 hours);
there is a disturbance of consciousness (hallucinations, delusions);
Strong headache;
breathing problems;
cold hands and feet at a temperature of 38.5 degrees;
convulsions began.

Remember that temperatures above 39 degrees lead to depression of the nervous system, dehydration, and poor circulation.

Causes

Very often, a child’s cold forehead is observed during periods when he is freezing. In order to verify this, you need to palpate the rest of his limbs. If they are also cold, then you should calm yourself down and dress your child warmer so that he warms up faster. Most often, this phenomenon is observed in infants who lie in one position for a long time. In order to avoid overheating of the head, you need to leave the child in one position for as little time as possible.

, even if we are talking about newborn babies, they need to be constantly shifted, picked up, and walked with them.

A very common phenomenon is when a newborn baby has a cold forehead, but a hot head is also a normal phenomenon that should not frighten parents. This only happens because the sweat glands are well developed, and the little person’s scalp cools down quickly.

There are also cases when a child is sick, his forehead is cold. Therefore, if you see signs of illness in your child, you do not need to rely on yourself and touch only his forehead - it is better to take a thermometer and measure the child’s temperature in order not to miss the development of the baby’s disease. This is a completely normal phenomenon that parents of newborns have to deal with.

Therapeutic and preventive measures

If a disease has been ruled out, there is no fever, but the baby’s head is still hot, several recommendations should be followed.

Do not allow the child to sweat.
If the room is too hot, you can wipe your baby with a damp towel.
Normalize your daily routine.
Breastfeeding or adapted formula.
The room in which the baby is located must be constantly ventilated (the optimal air temperature in the room is 20–22 degrees, humidity is no more than 70%).
You need to spend time with your child in the fresh air as often as possible.
Direct sunlight should be avoided. The child must always wear a hat. We need to stop wearing diapers on the street. You don't have to wear socks or shoes.

For rickets, taking vitamin D is indicated. But only a doctor prescribes the dosage and duration of treatment. For hydrocephalus, either conservative methods are used or surgery is prescribed.

Do not be afraid that your child is throwing a fever. This is not a mandatory sign of the onset of the disease. You just need to change the rules of care, and the thermoregulation processes will improve on their own.

While the fetus is in the womb, its body temperature remains within 38 degrees. Immediately after birth, the child finds himself in a completely unfamiliar environment. In addition, the baby’s skin is quite moist immediately after birth, which means it cools quickly. Therefore, it is very important to wipe the baby's skin in the first minutes after birth and place him near a heat source.

Everyone knows that the first sign of elevated human body temperature is a hot head. It often happens that a young mother, having discovered a hot head in her child, panics and calls a doctor to the house. But practice shows that in the vast majority of cases there is no need to worry about a hot head, since the body of a newborn child works somewhat differently than that of an adult.

His body temperature is very changeable, since thermoregulation processes are not fully formed.

In this regard, the child should always be dressed correctly to prevent overheating or, conversely, hypothermia.

Diseases

But if, then this may be a sign that manifests itself in different symptoms. But such symptoms should alert parents.

If, but a cold forehead, this may indicate the development of such a serious disease as hypertension syndrome, which is manifested by the following symptoms:

Frequent.
Hot neck.
Enlarged veins on the forehead and temples.
Violation of muscle tone - this can be determined by a neurologist.
Tense fontanel. It may pulsate.
Increase in volume of the skull.

But in some cases, a cold forehead may be a harbinger of some disease and a doctor’s consultation is necessary. The most common diseases that can appear in a newborn baby due to a cold forehead are the following:

Poisoning.
ARVI.

How to properly use antipyretic drugs in children?

It should be clarified that antipyretic drugs in children are used only when there is already a high temperature. A course of treatment to prevent an increase in body temperature, for example 3 or 4 times a day, does not make sense. There are many trade names and dosage forms adapted for use by children:

For babies under one year old, antipyretic in the form of suppositories is more suitable. It must be remembered that the effect of drugs in this form occurs somewhat later than that of drugs that are administered orally;
syrups and solutions are produced for children over one year old;
Children over 7 years old can already take medications in the form of tablets.

In the instructions for the drugs, a single dose of the drug is usually indicated on average for the age of the child. But it is more correct to calculate the dose not by age, but by weight. Different babies at the same age can vary significantly in weight.

You should know that when taking an antipyretic, the temperature should not reach normal levels. A decrease in temperature of at least 1 degree is considered effective. But, even if the temperature has decreased to a lesser extent, and the child’s well-being has improved, this is already a positive effect from taking an antipyretic.

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During the consultation, you will be able to voice your problem, the doctor will clarify the situation, interpret the tests, answer your questions and give the necessary recommendations.

What to do

First of all, you need to identify the reason for the child’s cold forehead.

. If this happens only because the baby is cold, then you need to warm him up as soon as possible. But you should not put several layers of clothing on your child, otherwise, having gotten rid of one problem, you will have another - overheating of the child, which is also not desirable for the baby.

If we are talking about the development of the disease, then you need to consult a doctor, who will treat the baby. It is worth remembering that you should never self-medicate, since we are talking about a newborn child.

First of all, you need to contact a pediatrician, who will give referrals to other specialists. Most often, he writes out a referral to a neurologist or neuropathologist, who continues to monitor the child’s condition.

If there is the slightest suspicion of rickets, the doctor will prescribe it and also conduct a full examination of the child. But the most important thing is not to exceed the dose prescribed by the doctor, as this can only worsen the child’s condition.

But even if, after a doctor’s examination, the child’s forehead is constantly cold, but no obvious pathologies are found, then there is no need to worry. You need to start monitoring the thermoregulation of your baby’s body and dress him warmer if it’s suddenly cold in the apartment.

As practice shows, most often parents make a big problem out of this and treat the baby for diseases they have invented.

If, in addition to this symptom, the baby does not show any other signs of the disease, then you should calm down. After all, you must admit that if a child feels bad, he will probably tell his parents about it. There should be no cause for concern in the following cases:

The baby has a good appetite.
The child is sleeping peacefully.
The baby is behaving as usual and is not hysterical.
Leads an active lifestyle.
He develops correctly, in no way inferior to his peers.

But if the symptoms torment the child along with other manifestations of the disease, it is worth contacting a doctor, who will explain the whole picture.

In order to calm yourself down, you need to take all the tests that the doctor prescribes and only then talk about the health of the child. Often this symptom manifests itself due to fatigue and overwork, and there is nothing to worry about. You just need to give your child time to rest.

In conclusion, we can conclude that a cold forehead in a child can be a phenomenon of some kind of disease, or simply a physiological process. Therefore, if you notice a similar symptom in your child, do not panic.

, you need, on the contrary, to calm down and consult a doctor about the issue that has arisen. You also need to observe your child’s behavior; if it is no different from usual, then there should be no reason to worry.

Every mother measures the child’s temperature only when the baby shows signs of illness. If the baby is active, cheerful and cheerful, then there is no need to take temperature measurements at all. To make sure that the baby has signs of illness, the mother just needs to put her hand or lips on the baby’s forehead to determine the elevated temperature.

If the baby's forehead is cold, then there is no need to take temperature measurements. But there are cases when a child’s forehead is cold, and the temperature rises to 38 degrees. What does this indicator indicate? Thermometer malfunction or the development of an unknown disease? We will look at this in more detail in the material.

Additional symptoms

Hyperthermia is sometimes accompanied by the following symptoms:

Marbled leather

A network of vessels. This is not a disease, but a vascular reaction to an irritant. It occurs more often in infants under six months of age. If the child is older and this phenomenon bothers him, he should consult a doctor.

Diarrhea and vomiting

Signal of intestinal disease. Vomiting also occurs during heat stroke; in this case, there is general dehydration in the body, and there may be blood in the stool.

Headache

More often it warns of ARVI, but tumor development processes are also possible. When the heat rises, blood flow increases, which increases the pressure inside the skull, causing headaches.

Acute respiratory infections or acute respiratory viral infections often cause hyperthermia and are dangerous for complications, especially in toddlers

Hot body but cool head

This is how the fever begins. The forehead is cold, but the body and part of the head are hot. In this state, a state of almost fainting may occur, sometimes accompanied by delusions and hallucinations. Don't hesitate, call an ambulance.

Reduced pressure

This often means that the body is infected with a virus. Blood pressure decreases due to decreased tone and the release of certain hormones. For five days, it is necessary to measure the child’s temperature three times a day, and the pressure twice. If after this time the condition does not improve, you should consult a doctor and undergo an examination.

The child has a fever and a cold forehead

Parents resort to measuring the child’s body temperature when there are accompanying signs for this. These signs include: lethargy, general malaise, loss of strength. If you touch not only the forehead, but also the back of the head, it will not be so cold, and a repeated measurement shows 38 degrees. If the baby has a fever, but the forehead is cold, then the main sign of this phenomenon is an infectious or viral infection of the body.

It is important to know! If the thermometer mark does not exceed 38 degrees, then giving antipyretics is strictly contraindicated.

If parents detect signs of illness in their baby, then there is no need to hesitate and wait until serious complications begin. You should immediately visit a doctor or call an ambulance. We will find out further what reasons can provoke high fever, while the child’s forehead remains cold.

Symptoms of white fever

One of the fundamental causes of such a phenomenon as a cold forehead and fever is white fever. White fever received this name for one simple reason: as the disease develops, signs of pale skin appear. If the forehead is cold and the baby’s temperature rises, this indicates that a spasm of blood vessels is developing. With vascular spasm, not only the forehead gets cold, but also the limbs.

It is important to know! The cause of white fever is pathogenic bacteria that infect the child’s body.

Spasm of blood vessels is a process in which oxygen begins to be localized in all vital organs. In this case, there is a strong outflow of blood from the extremities, as a result of which when you put your hand to your forehead, you can find that it is not hot. Vasospasm is a very dangerous sign, often manifesting itself in children at high temperatures above 38 degrees. Some children who have pathologies with the cardiovascular system are prone to developing white fever if the temperature is above 37 degrees.

It is important to know! A temperature of 37 degrees does not pose a danger to a child only if the baby has no signs of white fever.

In addition to the fact that the baby's head and limbs are cold, additional signs of white fever include: weakness, exhaustion, dizziness, lethargy, loss of appetite and pale skin. There are cases when the child begins to delirium and has hallucinations. In this condition, the baby should not be disturbed, but should immediately call an ambulance, informing the dispatcher that the baby has signs of white fever.

Cold forehead due to overheating

Why do children's body temperature rise, but their forehead becomes cold? If this phenomenon was not provoked by white fever, then the cause may be a banal overheating of the body. Many parents miss one very important point when wrapping up their children during cool weather. A child sweats very quickly during active games, so if you wrap your baby up, this will negatively affect his well-being as a result of overheating.

The main symptoms of overheating of the body are the following factors:

Nausea and headache.
Fever.
Bleeding from the nose.
Difficulty and rapid breathing.
Temperature increase.
Fainting.

If the cause of the baby’s illness is overheating of the body, then you should resort to the following actions:

undress the child to allow normal temperature to settle;
prevent sun exposure to the baby’s body;
Have your child drink as much fluid as possible to prevent dehydration.

It is important to know! Giving lotions to a child with a fever is extremely contraindicated, so if the child does not get better, you should give him an antipyretic and then call an ambulance.

When the temperature rises

. Then the heat in the whole body usually increases, and this sequence is quite natural and understandable. But when the temperature remains normal, and there is a feeling of heat accompanied by redness of parts of the body, then there is no need to talk about a simple viral infection, flu or cold. What could it be when a child is “burning”, but there is no increase in temperature?

Example. In the morning, the mother noticed that the child’s cheeks were very red after sleep. An hour later the redness did not subside. At the same time, the child ate regular food. The next day he woke up with the same red face, and his cheeks were like hot coals. The next day, the mother noticed a rash - red spots on the legs and arms that did not itch and were scattered throughout the body, except for the chest and abdomen. Again there was no temperature.

This example can be supplemented with various other details and continued - in some cases the rash persists for several days.

What could be the reason for this phenomenon?

The first assumption is an allergic reaction. An allergen can be anything - food, room dust, mites in an old pillow, even frosty air.
The cause of severe redness of the skin without a rise in temperature may be giardiasis.
A child's burning cheeks may precede the appearance of atopic dermatitis on the arms and legs.
An atypical reaction to the sun can also cause cheeks to burn.
Rash and burning cheeks are also observed with parovirus infection. It is sometimes confused with rubella. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to undergo special tests.
- this is also one of the possible reasons for the appearance of a rash and red burning cheeks. With rubella, red, non-itchy spots also appear on the body, and the child “burns.”
Sometimes scarlet fever begins this way - a fever appears, the child is burning, but at the same time he does not have a temperature, and he feels quite good. Only after a few days does the illness really take hold.

The baby has a hot head: reasons. Features of thermoregulation in young children

What to do if your baby has a hot head? How dangerous is this child’s condition and is it dangerous at all? This question often haunts young parents, so now we will try to give a comprehensive answer to it. We will also find out what the features of thermoregulation are in young children, and how this process differs between children and adults.

How does thermoregulation work in newborns?

In both children and adults, body temperature is regulated by the hypothalamus, a special section located in the diencephalon. But at the same time, the endocrine and nervous systems play an equally important role in this process.

Thus, the thyroid gland, adrenal glands and pituitary gland directly influence the body's production of heat.

In general, thermoregulation is a complex of chemical and physical processes that give a person the opportunity, if necessary, to increase or, conversely, reduce heat production.

The muscles and digestive organs, in particular the liver, help the body “warm up”. This mechanism largely involves the chemical processes of thermoregulation, which, as research shows, are quite well developed in newborn babies.

On the contrary, the vascular system is responsible for heat transfer, as well as sweating. Due to their special physiology and insufficient development of the skin, it is more difficult for children to cool themselves. That is why a baby with a hot head without fever is a normal condition.

This, as a rule, is not associated with problems in the body; the cause of this condition is most often simple overheating.

From the moment of birth, the child is nevertheless able to cope with the challenges that the environment throws at him.

In the womb, he was in waters whose temperature is close to 38 degrees, so when he is born, he experiences a shock, because he finds himself in a place where it is 10-14 degrees colder.

Brown adipose tissue helps it cope with such temperature changes; it begins to form in the fetus around the 26th week of pregnancy and accumulates in the body until birth. The baby will use it to keep warm for approximately the entire first year of its life.

Premature babies do not have as much brown fat as babies born at term, so their thermoregulation is much worse. The second feature of babies is that their muscles do not contract during heat production.

That is, if a child does not shiver in the cold, this does not mean that he is not frozen. To determine this, it is better to feel the child.

If a baby has a hot head, it means that he is hot, and cool skin may indicate that he is hypothermic.

When does thermoregulation stabilize in newborns?

The first week of life for a newborn baby is marked by strong fluctuations in body temperature. Immediately after birth, a healthy child has a fairly high body temperature - 37.7–38.2 degrees.

Accordingly, the baby’s head is also hot, and not just the body.

But after three hours, the temperature drops, quite strongly - to 35.2 degrees, after which it gradually stabilizes and in the first three days of life remains at 36.2 degrees.

After being discharged from the maternity hospital, many mothers notice that the baby has a temperature of 37.2 plus or minus a few tenths of a degree, but at the same time he feels good - he eats normally, sleeps, and is not capricious.

In the first two months of life, such hyperthermia is considered normal; it is associated with underdeveloped thermoregulation of the child.

You need to be wary if, in addition to a rise in temperature, other symptoms are observed: the baby's head is sweating, he is restless, has trouble going to the toilet, and eats little.

From about six months, the temperature of full-term babies begins to normalize, their processes of heat production and heat transfer are established, but they will not end so soon - only after a year, and in premature babies this is delayed for another 2-3 months. Overheating in children also occurs at an older age, so they should always be dressed “for the weather.”

Features of temperature of different parts of the body in children

Also, mothers often notice that the baby has a hot head, but his hands and feet are completely cold.

In such cases, the child urgently needs to measure the temperature, and if its increase is recorded, it means that a serious inflammatory process is most likely present in the body.

Due to vascular spasm, the body cannot lose heat through the skin of the palms and soles, and accumulates it inside the body, causing the temperature to rise more and more.

This condition is extremely dangerous for babies and requires immediate medical attention. In general, research by doctors has shown that the temperature on the surface of different parts of a child’s body is usually different. This is due to the fact that in some places there are more blood vessels.

Thus, in the central part of the body the temperature is higher, and in the periphery it is lower. At the same time, the toes are the coldest (in newborns, 31.7 degrees). Having felt the baby, parents may notice that the baby without fever has a hot head in the temples and a cool forehead.

This is absolutely normal and is associated with the same uneven coverage of blood vessels in the skin.

Normal temperature for children under one year old

A slight “warming” of the body in a newborn is quite normal. As we have already said, if the baby’s temperature fluctuates between 36.5–37.5 degrees, this is quite natural and acceptable. During sleep, the child may get a little hot, so it makes no sense to put a thermometer on him while he is asleep.

Such a measurement of body temperature will be uninformative, because it will most likely show hyperthermia, which will go away on its own after about half an hour. Also, a child can become hot if he is not dressed correctly, using a lot of clothes or things made of synthetic fabrics.

If the temperature rises, you can try to undress the baby, and if the situation stabilizes, then it is not a matter of illness, but of overheating.

Is a hot head in a baby a symptom of illness or normal?

In itself, an increase in temperature in the head area does not mean anything. This can become a symptom only along with other characteristic signs of diseases:

restlessness;
poor sleep;
weak appetite;
urinary retention and constipation or, conversely, diarrhea;
frequent, causeless crying.

These symptoms may indicate an infectious or neurological disorder.

Sweating head in a child

Parents often ask pediatricians why their baby’s head is sweating. According to a number of experts, this is due to a deficiency of vitamin D in the body and rickets, but not all doctors adhere to this point of view. To confirm this diagnosis, you need to consult a neurologist and orthopedist, and also donate blood for biochemistry.

Another probable cause of head sweating is underdeveloped sweat glands, overstimulation, the use of synthetic clothing and downy bedding, intense sucking (this makes the child tired; sucking is a serious physical activity for the baby).

How to cool a child?

Before you start “bringing down” the temperature, you need to find out the reason for its increase. To do this, you need to understand why the baby has a hot head and other parts of the body. If it is a disease, then it needs to be treated under the guidance of a competent medical professional.

If the fact is that the baby is overheated, you need to do everything possible to remove the factors contributing to his hyperthermia. To begin with, the child should be undressed; you can wipe his hands, feet and head a little with a damp cloth. This will help the fever go away faster and the temperature will return to normal.

It is also very important to maintain a normal microclimate in the room where the newborn is located most of the time. Despite the fact that while in the womb it is accustomed to warmth, after birth it does not need to be raised like a greenhouse plant in a hot and stuffy room.

It is more correct to maintain the temperature at 22-24 degrees and no higher, and air humidity - from 40 to 60%.

Where in the head should a child's temperature rise be checked?

Many parents, kissing their child on the forehead, check whether he has a fever. This method of controlling temperature rise has truly been proven over generations.

But you need to understand that by touching this part of the head, you can only determine whether the baby has a fever at all, but this method will never give an accurate result.

In addition, it is important not to miss when carrying out such a diagnosis and not to kiss the baby on the temple, where, in principle, the skin is much warmer, and it may seem that the baby has a temperature of 37 degrees or even higher.

Source: https://FB.ru/article/402629/u-grudnichka-goryachaya-golova-prichinyi-osobennosti-termoregulyatsii-u-malenkih-detey

Main signs and symptoms of pink fever.

Pink (or red) fever is much easier for children to tolerate and has a more beneficial effect on the entire body as a whole. With this increase in temperature, the skin is pink, hot and moist. Fever is characterized by increased heat transfer, which reduces the risk of overheating of the child's body.

The main symptoms of “pink” fever in a baby:

Warm and moist skin;
Hot legs and arms;
General health is satisfactory.

Important: Doctors recommend lowering body temperature only when it rises above 38.5°C. When the heat does not reach this level, children's immunity fights inflammatory processes in the body.

First aid for pink fever:

Rubbing the body with water. An excellent effect is obtained by using a solution with the addition of mint. Menthol has a cooling effect and eases the baby's condition;
Drink plenty of fluids. At a high mark on the thermometer, a large amount of liquid evaporates. To restore water balance, the patient must be given warm drinks frequently. When refusing food, a small patient should be given a pharmaceutical solution of glucose, previously diluted in warm boiled water.
If the temperature rises significantly, it must be brought down with antipyretic drugs. The safest medications for babies are those containing paracetamol or ibuprofen. Candles are suitable for newborns and infants; older children will like syrup.

Important! Pink fever is a favorable sign of the immune system fighting infection.

Simple ways to normalize temperature

If a baby has a hot head due to overheating, but there is no body temperature, it is worth taking measures to regulate the temperature around the child:

Clothing should always be made of natural, “breathable” fabric, synthetic items are excluded;
More time to walk, about eight hours;
Ventilate the children's room often;
You can’t wrap your baby up;
During extreme heat, wipe with a damp towel.

If a baby has a hot head due to overheating, but there is no body temperature, it is worth taking measures to regulate the temperature around the child:

Clothing should always be made of natural, “breathable” fabric, synthetic items are excluded;
More time to walk, about eight hours;
Ventilate the children's room often;
You can’t wrap your baby up;
During extreme heat, wipe with a damp towel.