Signs Of Hypothermia In Babies Must Be Understanded

Signs of hypothermia in babies. (Dominika Roseclay/Pexels)

YOGYAKARTA - Just like adult temperatures, the baby temperature can also fluctuate due to many factors. In general, the child's temperature must be between 36.5 deg-37.5 deg C when measured by a oral thermometer. If the baby's temperature is below 36.5 deg C, they are considered to have hypothermia, or a low body temperature.

Low body temperature in babies will certainly be dangerous, and in rare cases it can cause fatal conditions. Therefore, look at the signs of hypothermia in the baby below.

In addition to low body temperature when measured with a thermometer, there are also several other symptoms of hypothermia that can be experienced by the baby, including:

If the baby has symptoms above, you should immediately discuss it with the doctor in order to get the right treatment. If needed, you can also immediately make an appointment with a doctor to take the baby to the hospital and undergo an examination.

Low body temperature can cause serious conditions. When the baby's temperature drops just one degree below 36.5 degrees C, the use of oxygen increases by 10 percent in an effort to warm its body again. However, this increase can put great pressure on the baby's body.

As previously mentioned, in rare conditions, hypothermia can result in infant mortality. Reporting from Healthline, a study conducted in Nepal found that babies that have a body temperature below 34.5 degrees C, are nearly five times more likely to die in one week of birth than those with higher temperatures.

If you suspect a baby has low body temperature, the first thing you have to do is measure his body temperature. Measurement through a rectum may be more accurate, but if you don't have a rectal thermometer, you can take advantage of the axila thermometer. However, never use an axila thermometer in the rectum or vice versa.

If babies are natural to hypothermia, you can't increase their temperature by adding clothes, using body heat by holding them, or carrying them. You have to take the baby to the hospital immediately. Early treatment can help reduce the risk of serious complications. This is because the baby's body temperature is lower than 36.5 deg C increases some risks, including:

Babies lose their hot temperatures faster than adults. If you see symptoms of hypothermia occurring in a baby, immediately wear warm clothes on the body and give them a warm liquid and take them to the hospital. In addition, you also need to be careful if the baby is born early or premature with a low birth weight. This is because they are at higher risk of developing hypothermia than normally born babies.

That's a review of signs of hypothermia in babies. Visit VOI.id to get other interesting information.