Does skin-to-skin contact with fever really make sense?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Trinh Thi Thanh Huyen - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.

1. Is skin-to-skin contact to reduce fever really meaningful?

Many mothers have believed that skin-to-skin contact will help reduce fever. However, in practice, skin-to-skin contact for babies really doesn't work to reduce fever. When a child with a fever is brought close to the mother's skin, the mother's love hormone will help the baby feel more comfortable.
Medical professionals recommend that skin-to-skin contact should not be viewed as an alternative to traditional treatments. Skin-to-skin contact is considered a supportive treatment and helps children feel secure and comfortable during a fever. If your child has a fever above 38 degrees Celsius, you should take them to a medical facility for timely examination, diagnosis and treatment.

2. Benefits of skin-to-skin contact

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that infants, including those born at term and healthy, be given skin-to-skin contact with their mothers. Currently, this method is being widely applied all over the world, including Vietnam. Skin-to-skin (skin-to-skin) is a method for the newborn's skin to come into contact with the mother's skin, right after the baby is born, the baby will be held by the mother on her chest or on her bare belly. This is considered a scientific measure and is considered good for both mother and baby.
For children: help children breathe better, have fewer apneas and less risk of facing hypothermia, their heart beats better, and children develop more comprehensively. For mothers: skin-to-skin contact will help mothers enhance interaction with their babies, reduce mothers' worries and fears, and increase confidence in their ability to care for their babies, and early and prolonged breastfeeding.

After birth, the baby is skin-to-skin, the mother touches and caresses the young, the hormone oxytocin - the love hormone from the mother's body is stimulated and released, helping the baby feel more comfortable and safe. The mother will also feel happier. This is the link between mother and baby.
For postpartum women, oxytocin has the effect of stimulating lactation, the faster and more milk comes in if the baby is skin-to-skin with the mother early. Besides, oxytocin also has a direct effect on the brain, helping the child and mother to bond, creating a sense of security between mother and baby. Skin-to-skin contact is a natural method of bonding between mother and baby, especially for children who are vulnerable and need a mother's care to maintain life. Skin-to-skin helps a child's relationship with his mother become more sacred than ever.

3. How to handle when babies have temperature disorders

Hyperthermia
When the child's body temperature is 37.5 degrees Celsius or higher, it is considered hyperthermia.
In neonates, hyperthermia is considered a serious sign that can lead to death. Hyperthermia is common in severe infections, especially in patients with meningitis.
The child's body temperature rises from mild to severe, a temperature above 39 degrees Celsius is considered severe. Apply principles of using physical and drug methods to interventional management of hyperthermia in children. For low birth weight infants, children with severe infections or in hot weather, it is necessary to immediately identify the risk of hyperthermia by touching the baby's hands and feet. For children at risk, it is necessary to regularly measure body temperature with a thermometer every 4 hours.
If the infant has hyperthermia, you need to take the baby out of the hot source and lie in a well-ventilated room, wear cool clothes, can take off the diaper if needed... so give the baby milk several times, can express Come out and feed the baby if the baby refuses to breastfeed. If the child does not return to normal or shows dangerous symptoms, the child should be taken to a medical facility immediately for treatment. Parents should note, do not immediately use antipyretic to lower body temperature.
If the infant has severe hyperthermia, caution should be taken while taking antipyretics, paracetamol can be used at a dose of 10 to 15 mg/kg for each oral dose, in case of necessity, can be used. Use again after 6 hours. In addition, the accompanying disorders also need to be treated, especially dehydration. If the child's condition still does not improve or is beyond treatment, other tests should be done to determine the cause. Treatment is based on the cause of the illness, especially for children with severe infections.

Hypothermia
A child is considered hypothermic when the child's body temperature is below 36.5 degrees Celsius. This can be a sign of a serious, potentially fatal condition. This symptom is common in patients with severe infections.
Hypothermia is divided into 3 types:
Mild hypothermia: body temperature from 36.0 degrees C to 36.5 degrees C Moderate hypothermia: body temperature from 35 degrees C to 35.9 degrees C Severe hypothermia : body temperature below 35 degrees Celsius Signs of hypothermia in babies can be detected by palpation of hands and feet in infants, especially for those with low birth weight, premature birth, and infections. Severe cases, children in cold climates... It is necessary to check the child's temperature regularly, every 6 hours for high-risk children.
Management of hypothermia in children by giving the child skin-to-skin contact with the mother, wearing more clothes, wearing more hats, socks, gloves for the child, keeping the child's body warm... at the same time, the child needs to be fed many times, Mother should breastfeed the baby early, can give it through a spoon if the baby refuses to breastfeed. If after 1 hour, the child's body does not return to normal and shows danger signs, it is necessary to take the child immediately to a medical facility for timely treatment.
Pediatrics department at Vinmec International General Hospital is the address for receiving and examining diseases that infants and young children are susceptible to: viral fever, bacterial fever, otitis media, pneumonia in children, .... With modern equipment, sterile space, minimizing the impact as well as the risk of disease spread. Along with that is the dedication from the doctors with professional experience with pediatric patients, making the examination no longer a concern of the parents.
Customers can directly go to Vinmec Health system nationwide to visit or contact the hotline here for support.
Master. Trinh Thi Thanh Huyen is highly trained in obstetric ultrasound, laparoscopic surgery and hysteroscopy at the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology and has more than 13 years of experience working at Hai Phong Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital.
Currently the doctor is an Obstetrician and Gynecologist at Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital
To register for examination and treatment at Vinmec International General Hospital, you can contact Vinmec Health System on nationwide, or register for an online examination HERE
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