Distinguishing teething fever from fever caused by sore throat in children

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted with Master, Doctor Nguyen Minh Tuan - Pediatrician - Pediatrics - Neonatology Department - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.
Fever is a very common clinical condition in young children, especially in the age when the body as well as the immune system has not yet fully developed and matured. In particular, teething fever and fever caused by sore throat are two very confusing clinical phenomena, so they need to be clearly differentiated in order to have appropriate treatment measures for each case.

1. The child has a high fever

Because of the immature immune system and easy attack by external agents, high fever is common in children, along with other clinical symptoms. It is easy to see that children can have a fever due to common diseases such as colds, sore throat, ... or it can also be teething fever.
Clinically, it is difficult to distinguish teething fever or fever caused by other diseases with common symptoms, that is, the child's body temperature is elevated, the child shows signs of fatigue, fussiness and may stop breastfeeding, causing many parents to confuse these two conditions and mishandle them. Therefore, it is necessary to clearly understand the causes of fever in children, to distinguish clearly the symptoms of teething fever or fever caused by other causes, the most typical of which is fever caused by sore throat.

Trẻ có thể bị sốt do những bệnh lý thông thường như cảm lạnh, viêm họng,... hoặc cũng có thể là sốt mọc răng.
Trẻ có thể bị sốt do những bệnh lý thông thường như cảm lạnh, viêm họng,... hoặc cũng có thể là sốt mọc răng.

2. Teething fever

Teething fever is one of the most common types of fever in children. To be able to accurately identify this condition, parents need to carefully observe the symptoms that come with teething fever such as drooling more than usual, swollen gums, discomfort in children due to sore throat. gums should always cry, sometimes have a dull expression.
Besides, children also have the habit of biting, sucking and putting things in their mouths around them because at this time, when teeth grow, children have an itchy and uncomfortable feeling inside the mouth. Because of these symptoms, children always feel restless, making it very difficult to sleep compared to usual. Most importantly, teething fever is usually a mild fever, the temperature does not rise too high, along with that, the child will not have other severe symptoms such as diarrhea, cough, runny nose,...
Teething fever Usually lasts for a very short time, about 1-2 days and then goes away on its own without any treatment. In these cases, the child can be cared for at home by the parent. If the fever is less than 38°C, then there is no need to take fever-reducing medicine, but only need to cool the child, the clothes should also choose thin and light materials, easy to absorb sweat, let the child drink a lot of water during this time. Continue to breastfeed the baby, add juice and Oresol solution if necessary.
If the child has a high fever above 38°C and parents are concerned and worried about this situation, they should take the child to the hospital for treatment to reduce the fever and monitor the health status. Parents should also clean their children's teeth during this period, especially the gums. Besides, do not forget to use a soft cloth to wipe the drool on the baby's face.
In general, teething fever is not too serious and affects children's health too much, parents should keep calm and strictly follow the above recommendations to help children reduce fever as quickly as possible.

Sốt mọc răng là một trong những dạng sốt rất thường gặp ở trẻ em.
Sốt mọc răng là một trong những dạng sốt rất thường gặp ở trẻ em.

3. Fever due to sore throat

In contrast, fever due to sore throat is usually higher, exceeding 38°C and showing signs such as chills or more sweating. Fever caused by sore throat can make children more likely to fall into a state of dehydration, fatigue and weakness in limbs than teething fever. Children may also have runny nose, sore throat, loss of appetite, stop feeding,...
The cause of fever due to sore throat is caused by common pathogens such as viruses and bacteria that attack the immune system. children and cause disease. In addition to fever from sore throat, other common causes of fever are diseases related to the immune system, inflammatory diseases, infections, or side effects of vaccines.
Fever due to sore throat or other common fever usually lasts more than 2 days. Clinically, if the child has a fever and signs of red throat, the most likely cause is a viral fever, at this time it is necessary to give the child fever-reducing medicine and add a lot of warm water. If the child has a bacterial infection or is suspected of having a fever due to group A strep throat, antibiotics can be prescribed by the treating doctor. Do not arbitrarily give antibiotics to children without the consent of the treating doctor. When taking the drug, you must use it exactly as prescribed by the doctor for about 7-10 days, do not automatically quit or adjust the dose.
In addition, parents also need to pay attention to the child's living environment by not letting the child sleep in a space with too low a temperature, so let the child drink warm water instead of cold water. Do not breastfeed at night and clean the mouth area after feeding to minimize the favorable conditions for bacteria to grow. In addition, the most important thing is that mothers need to breastfeed their babies for as long as possible because breast milk contains many antibodies that help develop the baby's immune system best. If it is time to vaccinate, parents need to fully vaccinate their children to create antibodies against diseases.

Sốt do viêm họng thường cao hơn sốt mọc răng (>38 độ C).
Sốt do viêm họng thường cao hơn sốt mọc răng (>38 độ C).

4. Conclusion


Teething fever and other fevers, the most common of which is fever caused by pharyngitis, are two very similar clinical manifestations but completely different in nature. Therefore, if a child is found to have a high fever or other symptoms, it is necessary to observe and monitor them continuously to handle them promptly to avoid complications.
As a key area of ​​Vinmec Health system, Pediatrics Department always brings satisfaction to customers and is highly appreciated by industry experts with:
Gathering a team of top doctors and nurses in Pediatrics : consists of leading experts with high professional qualifications (professors, associate professors, doctorates, masters), experienced, worked at major hospitals such as Bach Mai, 108.. Doctors All doctors are well-trained, professional, conscientious, knowledgeable about young psychology. In addition to domestic pediatric specialists, the Department of Pediatrics also has the participation of foreign experts (Japan, Singapore, Australia, USA) who are always pioneers in applying the latest and most effective treatment regimens. . Comprehensive services: In the field of Pediatrics, Vinmec provides a series of continuous medical examination and treatment services from Newborn to Pediatric and Vaccine,... according to international standards to help parents take care of their baby's health from birth to childhood. from birth to adulthood Specialized techniques: Vinmec has successfully deployed many specialized techniques to make the treatment of difficult diseases in Pediatrics more effective: neurosurgery - skull surgery, stem cell transplantation. blood in cancer treatment. Professional care: In addition to understanding children's psychology, Vinmec also pays special attention to the children's play space, helping them to have fun and get used to the hospital's environment, cooperate in treatment, improve the efficiency of medical treatment.
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