What Is Considered A High Fever
A normal temperature for a baby is about 97 to 100.3 degrees Fahrenheit . Youll know your baby has a fever when their rectal temperature spikes to 100.4 or higher .
Any baby under 3 months with a rectal temperature of 100.4 or higher, always, always, always needs to be checked by a doctor. And any child with a fever over 104 degrees needs to be evaluatedso if you see that number, dont wait to give your doctor a call!
Constipation In Toddlers & Older Children
Constipation is fairly common in children, affecting up to 10% at any given time, though many dont seek medical attention.
Once a child is potty trained, parents might not be aware of whats going on behind closed doors and may not know their child is constipated. We consider a child to be constipated if he or she experiences pain or straining while passing a bowel movement, and/or has large, hard, dry stools with more than a day between bowel movements.
How Is Diarrhoea In Babies And Children Treated
The treatment of diarrhoea in babies and children will depend on the underlying cause.
Antibiotic-associated diarrhoea: The doctor may advise you to stop or change the antibiotic.
Coeliac disease or lactose intolerance: These conditions can be treated with dietary adjustments.
Constipation: If ongoing constipation is causing faecal incontinence in your child, this will need to be managed by a doctor or a paediatrician.
Cryptosporidiosis: There is usually no specific treatment for this condition and it generally clears up by itself.
Dehydration: Your child may need to go to hospital for rehydration via a nasogastric tube, which goes down their nose into their stomach, or intravenously via a drip.
Gastroenteritis: Treatment will focus on keeping your child hydrated and replacing any lost minerals and salts. You can do this with an oral rehydration solution, which you can buy from the pharmacy. Gastroenteritis will usually clear up without specific treatment.
Giardia: This can be treated with specific antibiotics.
Inflammatory bowel disease : Your child will need to see a specialist and will need medicines and specialised formula.
Malabsorption: Treatment will depend on the underlying cause and may involve replacing missing nutrients.
Anti-diarrhoeal medicines are not suitable for use in children.
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What Foods Should My Toddler Avoid If Theyre Constipated
Toddlers who are constipated should avoid eating foods with little or no fiber, such as:
The following measures may help prevent constipation in your toddler:
- Diet: Make sure your child is getting enough fiber in their diet. This includes eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. Ask their healthcare provider about switching to lower-fat dairy products.
- Hydration: Encourage your child to drink plenty of water. Ask their healthcare provider about adding other liquids, including juice.
- Routine: Schedule a regular toilet routine.
- Physical activity: Get them moving with regular exercise and playtime.
Fear Or Other Emotional Causes
Ah, potty training isnt it a delight? In addition to the not-so-joyous elements of poo accidents and setting up camp for hours in the bathroom, potty training comes with difficult emotional aspects for some children.
Toddlers may feel fearful, skeptical, or even embarrassed about using the toilet. Then theres the possibility of feelings of resentment at having to give up the familiarity and convenience of diapers. Any of these negative emotions can lead to minimal output.
Finally, distracted play can make some kids less likely to stop what theyre doing and answer the call of nature because who wouldnt rather stack blocks than visit the boring old potty?
Fortunately, getting your child to better bowel movements doesnt always have to involve major intervention. In many cases, some simple changes can help.
For mild, temporary constipation, try these at-home steps:
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Could Childhood Constipation Be Due To An Abnormal Bowel
Constipation is hardly ever due to an abnormal bowel. Most bowel problems show up in early life and are diagnosed within the first few months. Occasionally, constipation in children can be due to coeliac disease.
If your child passed meconium within 24 hours of birth, it is unlikely your child has a bowel problem causing constipation.
Your doctor may suggest your child sees a specialist nurse or doctor if:
- your child’s constipation is proving difficult to treat after standard treatments or,
- your family doctor thinks there may be another condition causing your child’s constipation
Can Constipation Cause Fever In A Child
According to Mayo Clinic, fever is a temporary increase in your body temperature, often due to an illness. Having a fever is a sign that something out of the ordinary is going on in your body. For an adult, a fever may be uncomfortable, but usually isnt a cause for concern unless it reaches 103 F or higher. For infants and toddlers, a slightly elevated temperature may indicate a serious infection.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a childs normal body temperature should be between 97ºF and 100.4ºF . Children and babies can have higher temperatures than adults, as they have a larger surface area compared to their body weight. Toddlers also sweat less and have a faster metabolism, which can cause them to have a higher body temperature.
According to a 2019 article, fever alone is rarely harmful and does not typically exceed 105.8ºF . While fevers higher than this temperature can be dangerous, they are rare.
Depending on whats causing the fever, additional fever signs and symptoms may include:
- General weakness
Children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years might experience febrile seizures. About a third of the children who have one febrile seizure will have another one, most commonly within the next 12 months.
What is constipation?
When the colons muscle contractions are slow or sluggish, the stool moves through the colon too slowly, resulting in too much water being absorbed.
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Signs Of Dehydration In Babies Infants And Children
Dehydration can be fatal, and babies and children are particularly vulnerable. Its therefore important to recognise the signs of dehydration.
Babies and young children are much more likely than adults to become dehydrated when they have diarrhoea. They can become very sick very quickly and may need to go to hospital. Signs that a child is dehydrated include:
- dry mouth, tongue and lips
- being listless or irritable
- shedding fewer tears when crying
Severe dehydration is a medical emergency and can be fatal get medical help for your child immediately.
Symptoms include:
- not drinking much or refusing drink
- feeling lethargic
- producing no urine or only a very reduced amount of urine
- very sunken eyes
- very sunken fontanelle in a baby
- cold, pale or blotchy skin
Most Common Symptoms Of Constipation
Simply put, you can recognize constipation in your child based on whether or not they seem to be going to the bathroom frequently or not often enough at all.
Other symptoms of constipation include:
- Less than three bowel movements per week
- Bowel movements that are difficult to pass because they are hard or dry
- Pain while having a bowel movement
If your child expresses any of these symptoms to you, you can pretty confidently assume that constipation is the culprit.
That said, there are some more serious symptoms that are an indication of something more serious, and one of these symptoms is a fever, so lets take a look at the signs that should point you in the direction of the doctors office.
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Nausea Vomiting Or Tummy Aches
Constipation can look like the symptoms of the stomach flu. Nausea, vomiting, complaints of stomach pain and diarrhea and soiling are signs that both conditions share. Constipation will not come with a fever. Stomach flu sometimes does. Lack of appetite is also a sign of both. The child may not be able to tell you exactly how they are feeling, so you may not know for sure if its constipation or an illness. It is best to talk to your childs doctor or other health care professional to make sure an infection is ruled out.
What Causes Toddler Constipation
A variety of things can cause constipation in toddlers, from diet to medication. Here are a few of the most common causes:
Diet. The culprit in many cases of toddler constipation is a diet that’s too heavy in processed foods, dairy, and sweets, and too light in fiber . Not getting enough fluid can also lead to constipation, because it makes the stools harder. Any change in diet — such as when your toddler transitions from breast milk or formula to cow’s milk or starts eating new foods — can also affect the stools.
Holding it in. The average 2-year-old is far more interested in playing with toys than going to the bathroom. Some children are embarrassed or afraid to use the toilet, especially when it’s a public restroom. Toddlers who rebel against the toilet training process sometimes express their power struggle in a refusal to go.
Fear of discomfort. Constipated toddlers who’ve had painful bowel movements in the past sometimes avoid using the bathroom out of fear that it will hurt again. Not using the bathroom can turn into an uncomfortable cycle. Stool begins to build up in the lower part of the bowel, getting bigger and harder until it’s even more difficult and painful to pass.
Change in routine. Going on vacation and being away from their normal toilet can make some toddlers unwilling to go to the bathroom.
Lack of physical activity.Exercise helps with the movement of food through the digestive process.
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When To Visit The Pediatrician
Most often, your childs constipation will be nothing to worry about, and will be easily resolvable with some slight diet changes and increased water intake.
Certain symptoms do, however, mean that you should take your kid to the doctors office to make sure nothing serious is going on.
Symptoms that should be taken more seriously include:
- Constipation that lasts longer than two weeks
- Abdominal swelling
- Blood in the stool or black stool
These are signs that something bigger may be happening, or that your childs constipation has become severe and requires medical attention.
If your child does come down with a fever alongside their constipation, it is important to note that there is likely some kind of infection causing all of their symptoms, which is why a doctor should be consulted. If there is an infection causing your childs constipation and fever, a doctor can prescribe any necessary medications that will take care of the problem.
How Can Constipation Cause A Vicious Cycle
Constipation often starts after 1 hard poo has caused pain. The natural response to a painful experience is to try and avoid or escape it in the future. So, the next time your child feels the urge to poo, they ‘hold on’ in an attempt to avoid passing another painful poo. This results in the poo becoming firmer, larger and even more painful to poo out and your child becomes even more reluctant to poo in the future.
This leads to a vicious cycle:
The key to stopping this cycle is making the poo soft again.
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How To Treat Constipation And Fecal Impaction
The good news is that both constipation and fecal impaction are highly treatable at home with the help of medicine.
Adding more fiber into your childs diet will promote a healthy digestive system and help keep bowels moving, and encouraging them to up their water intake will also help keep everything moving along.
The use of stool softeners and laxatives can definitely come in handy if your childs symptoms are unmanageable or too uncomfortable to be resolved by a change in diet.
When it comes to choosing these medicines, though, you might find it difficult to find one that does not come along with other artificial inactive ingredients.
Genexa is the first clean medicine brand, and they are working to revolutionize the world of medicine by offering products that contain the active ingredients you need, without the inactive, artificial ingredients you dont need . Genexa was founded by two dads who wanted clean medicine options for their families, and they are committed to bringing you clean medicine.
Genexas Kids Senna Laxative can bring relief in 6-12 hours, making it perfect to give to your kids at bedtime so that they can feel some much needed relief come the morning.
If fecal impaction becomes too severe to be treated with medication, a doctor will be able to remove the blockage. After the blockage is cleared, they will likely give you a stool softener and tell you to follow a high fiber diet.
Side Effects Of Some Medicine Consumption
Certain medications, like those used to treat high blood pressure, asthma, and diabetes, can increase the risk of constipation. For instance, diuretics are often prescribed to treat congestion in the lungs however, they may potentially cause dehydration, leading to constipation.
You should also be careful about the intake of antibiotics as they have the potential to cause constipation. Its best to talk to your doctor about potential side effects when taking antibiotics to avoid compromising your gut health.
Fortunately, laxatives and stool softeners can help in treating constipation caused by these medications. But its important to take them only as directed since excessive use of laxatives has been associated with dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and even damage to the intestinal tract.
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Can Constipation Cause A Fever When To Go To Urgent Care
Constipation is when a person passes less than three bowel movements a week or has difficult or hard bowel movements. Dehydration is a typical culprit of constipation, but it can also result from insufficient fiber, physical inactivity, a side effect of certain medications, or something a little more problematic, especially when accompanied by a fever.
If youre wondering, Can constipation cause a fever, youll be happy to know that while the two can happen at the same time, constipation does not cause a fever.
What Causes Constipation In Toddlers
Toddlers often become constipated because they hold in their stool. As a result, their colon absorbs too much fluid and their poop becomes dry and hard to pass. Toddlers may hold in their stool because they:
- Dont want to stop whatever activity theyre doing, such as playing.
- Are embarrassed to use a public bathroom.
- Are worried pooping will be painful.
- Are nervous about learning to use the bathroom.
- Arent ready developmentally for toilet training.
Other causes of constipation in toddlers include:
- A low-fiber diet.
- Birth defects such as spina bifida.
- Health conditions that affect their metabolism such as diabetes.
- Medical conditions that affect their hormones such as hypothyroidism.
- Illnesses that cause a loss of appetite.
- Stress caused by school or by changes in routine, weather or travel.
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What Is The Best Thing To Do When A Baby Has A Fever
A fever can cause young children to become fussy, lethargic and sweat so much that they become dehydrated . Thats why its good to offer plenty of fluids and medicine to bring down a fever.
One of the signs that make pediatricians the happiest is when a baby wants to play a littleeven if they have a fever. Their body temperature dropping even one degree can help them feel better.
Treating Constipation With Soiling
Getting constipated and soiling their clothes is not something your child is doing on purpose, so there’s no reason to get cross with them.
You may both find the situation stressful, but staying calm and relaxed is the best attitude to help your child deal with the problem.
A health visitor or GP can offer helpful tips.
Read about soiling .
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How Can I Treat My Childs Constipation And Fever At Home
Treating both fever and constipation have some things in common.
When your child has either or both conditions, he or she should drink lots of fluids. Encourage your child to drink small sips of fluids frequently or set a goal to drink so many ounces per hour. When your goal is to get your child to drink, the healthy dietary rules can get thrown out the window temporarily. Often a child will refuse to drink plain water if they are not feeling well, but you might be able to get them to take pedialyte, juice or even popsicles. Keeping up with hydration is most important, even if it means increasing their sugar intake temporarily.
Drinking plenty of fluids will also ease a childs symptoms of constipation. When more fluids are present, the colon can bring more water into the stool and thus make it easier to pass.
Secondly, treating your childs fever with fever reducing medications can help ease their symptoms of fever as well as constipation. While a fever is not dangerous, it often causes a child to be miserable and not want to be active. Treating the fever with medication will help your child to feel better in the short run which will allow them to be active. Activity helps the digestive system to work well.
Should You See A Doctor About Constipation In Children
You should take your child to the GP if your child:
- needs a laxative more than a few times a year
- has constipation that doesnt get better after you give them a laxative
- hasnt done a poo for seven days
- poos in their pants without meaning to
- has constipation and also fever, vomiting, blood in their poo or weight loss
- has constipation and youre worried they arent eating or drinking enough.
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