How to reduce fever in babies? Remove thick clothes from the child. Ensure that the child is calm and relaxed because crying delays the temperature dropping. Give plenty of fluids or breastfeed to prevent dehydration. Put a wet diaper on the forehead, wrists and groin and change it frequently. If it is not enough, take a warm shower. Washing with cold water is not recommended as it causes the fever to rise rapidly. Vinegar, alcohol and rubbing alcohol should never be used to reduce fever. It is useful to keep the room temperature between 21-22 degrees.

If these measures do not reduce the fever, antipyretics can be used. Antipyretics do not cure the disease, they only control the fever. There are two groups of antipyretics commonly used in children:

Acetaminophen: Oral or as suppositories
Ibuprofen: Oral

The first choice is acetaminophen. Ibuprofen irritates the stomach if taken on an empty stomach and for a long time. These medicines are available with or without a prescription. The physician determines the dose according to the baby’s weight. If used in small amounts, they do not reduce fever; if given in large amounts, they have a toxic effect on the liver. So check with your doctor.

Aspirin used to be used a lot to reduce fever. However, when used with influenza and chickenpox, it can cause Reye’s disease. For this reason, it is no longer recommended today.