How to physically reduce a baby's fever when they have a cold

Written by Zhang Xian Hua
Pediatrics
Updated on June 14, 2025
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There are several common methods for physically reducing fever in infants. The most commonly used method with the least side effects is using fever-reducing patches, typically applied to the baby's forehead, neck, and other areas, which are quite effective. Secondly, you can give the baby a wipe bath with warm water, focusing on areas with abundant capillaries and large blood vessels such as the neck, armpits, groin, and behind the knees. The third method involves giving the baby a warm bath, which helps dilate the capillaries on the baby's skin surface to achieve the effect of heat dissipation. However, it is important to keep warm during the bath to prevent catching a cold, and the bathing time should generally not exceed ten minutes. Additionally, appropriately hydrating the baby to prevent dehydration can enhance the cooling effect of the above methods.

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Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
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What are the symptoms of a cold in children?

Pediatric colds, also known as acute upper respiratory infections, exhibit symptoms that can be categorized into local and systemic symptoms. Local symptoms include nasal congestion, sneezing, runny nose, mild coughing, discomfort in the throat, and sore throat. Systemic symptoms primarily consist of overall weakness, fever, reduced appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and generalized aches. In infants and toddlers, local symptoms are generally not as pronounced, while systemic symptoms tend to be more severe. For some children aged six months to three years, colds accompanied by fever can also lead to febrile convulsions. In older children, local symptoms are usually more prominent, while systemic symptoms are milder. Regarding this type of acute upper respiratory infection, there are two common specific types in children: herpangina and pharyngoconjunctival fever.

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Written by Hu Bai Yu
Pulmonology
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Does drinking alcohol cure a cold?

Drinking alcohol definitely cannot cure a cold, and everyone should be aware of this. Moreover, contrary to that, drinking alcohol can potentially make the symptoms of a cold worse. During a cold, the body's resistance is already weakened, and drinking alcohol at this time might irritate the stomach lining and affect various organs in the body. Therefore, it is best not to drink alcohol when you have a cold, especially not as a treatment for it. It is advised that everyone take care to avoid this misconception. Also, when you have a cold, keep warm, eat light foods, and avoid drinks like carbonated beverages, alcoholic drinks, strong tea, and coffee. Additionally, it is important to maintain a relaxed mood and avoid excessive stress. During the period when taking cold medicine, you should be careful not to drink alcohol to prevent any toxic reactions, which are very harmful to health.

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Written by Wang Chun Mei
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Can I eat oranges if I have a cold in the summer?

Colds that occur in the summer are generally more often heat-induced colds. Symptoms of heat-induced colds typically include fever, headache, or overall fatigue, along with chills, nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, and coughing among other clinical symptoms. It is generally not recommended for patients with such colds to eat oranges. Oranges are highly nutritious, containing a large amount of Vitamin C and some B vitamins. However, oranges can cause "internal heat," and eating too many oranges may exacerbate symptoms like sore throat. Therefore, it is generally advised not to eat oranges when one has a cold during summer. If one really wants to eat oranges, consuming a small amount, just a few segments, is acceptable.

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What should I do about a seasonal cold?

Colds caused by seasonal changes should be treated symptomatically, often due to fluctuations in temperature differences leading to decreased immune function and colds caused by chilling. It is recommended to drink more ginger sugar water and measure body temperature. Drinking ginger sugar water can warm the body and disperse cold, as well as promote metabolism. If there are symptoms of fever, physical methods to reduce fever should be adopted, or antipyretic medications can be taken orally. Firstly, it is important to maintain the cleanliness of the indoor air, avoid eating irritating or spicy foods, measure body temperature twice daily, and possibly combine with antiviral medications for etiological treatment.

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Is the common cold in autumn a wind-heat cold or a wind-cold cold?

In autumn, the temperature difference between day and night increases, and the weather also becomes drier, which leads to the anticipated arrival of colds. If the cold is accompanied by clear nasal discharge and symptoms like sneezing, then it is classified as a cold caused by wind-cold. If during the cold, thick yellow nasal discharge occurs, along with a hoarse voice and sore throat, these symptoms can be identified as a wind-heat cold. After catching a cold, it is important to keep warm to avoid catching cold again, eat more fruits and vegetables, improve physical fitness, and enhance immunity.