The child is shaking without temperature. What to do

Small children, due to an incompletely formed hypothalamus, are not yet able to control thermoregulation of their body, which can lead to chills in them in the absence of an increase body temperature.

Manifested by tremors in the muscles feeling of extreme cold and the appearance of "goose bumps", chills in a child may be a harbinger of a rise in temperature, or be a symptom of a serious pathology and requires from parents increased attention and control over the state of their child.

What if the child is shaking without fever?

The child is shaking without temperature in case of hypothermia or metabolic disorders that activate the synthesis of interferon, which brings the body's defenses into a “state of alertness”.

The first and main sign of chills is considered to be cold hands and feet of the child, followed by tapping of the teeth and tremors in the muscles, accompanied by:

• the baby's desire to hide and take the pose of an embryo;
• weakness and disappearance of interest in communication and games;
• crying heavily (in children under 1 year old) or soft moans of an older child;
• the appearance of pimples (goose bumps) on the skin associated with a malfunction of the capillaries.

When signs characteristic of chills appear, experts advise parents not to panic, but to follow these steps:

1. Place the baby in bed and cover with a blanket or light blanket. Doctors do not recommend wrapping the baby in case of chills because of the danger of overheating of internal organs.
2. Put on woolen socks on the child's feet.
3. Give your baby a warm, sweet drink.
4. Provide air exchange in the room by opening windows or turning on an air ionizer.

Since dehydration is considered the most likely consequence of chills in children under 1–2 years of age, doctors advise:

1. Little by little (no more than 1-2 tablespoons per hour), but often water the child with warm berry juice.
2. To prevent possible dehydration of the baby's body by oral administration of a 10% glucose solution.
3. Calm down the child and give him half a glass of warm tea with chamomile, mint and honey to drink.

Helps relieve chills and the use of lavender oil, taken in an amount of 1-2 drops and mixed with 2 drops of peach oil. This mixture is used to rub the baby's heels and helps to quickly relieve cold sensations and muscle tremors.

Babies who have not reached the age of 1 year and are breastfed are advised by pediatricians to carry them on their hands with chills and apply them to the chest as often as possible.

What should not be done if a child has chills?

The child is shaking without fever in case of emotional distress, severe stress or increased nervous stress, requiring the child to have adequate rest and the use of sedatives.

When chills appear, not accompanied by an increase in body temperature, doctors forbid parents on their own carry out any warming procedures: bathe the child in a hot bath, apply mustard plasters or do inhalation.

Such events can provoke a strong rise in temperature, which will lead to heat stroke, overheating of internal organs, loss of consciousness and a deterioration in the general condition of the baby. It is also forbidden to use electric heaters for artificial heating of air in the room, which reduce air humidity and can cause overheating of the child's internal organs.

If the chills are followed by a sharp rise in body temperature, parents should not panic and try to bring it down until the thermometer reaches 38.5 degrees. To reduce body temperature, doctors strongly recommend that parents use Nurafen or Paracetamol baby syrups without trying to knock down high temperature with other cooling procedures, such as rubbing the baby's body with a solution of vinegar, vodka or applying cold heating pads.

With a strong, sudden complication in a child suffering from chills, a spasm of peripheral vessels, leading to a sharp increase in body temperature and internal organs and a deterioration in its overall states.

When are medicines needed?

Doctors do not recommend that parents give their child medicines on their own. This recommendation applies to both antipyretic and antispasmodic drugs, due to the danger of a sharp increase in blood pressure in the baby and loss of consciousness. Before the arrival of the doctor, mom and dad need to provide the child with only peace and warm drink.

You should also not give your child sedatives on their own, except for herbal teas with chamomile, mint or lemon balm, because:

• valerian tincture has a sedative effect only with systematic use;
• motherwort broth will help the baby to relax, but it has a very unpleasant taste, which will make it problematic for a preschooler to use it independently without a subsequent attack of vomiting.

If the chill, despite the sedative measures taken by the parents, continues for more than 15 minutes, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible. An ambulance should also be called if an infant under 3 months of age is shaking in a chill, or muscle tremors are accompanied by vomiting.

What medications can I use?

A child shaking with chills, with a normal body temperature, should be immediately placed in a warm room.

Further actions of parents before the arrival of a doctor should be carried out depending on the cause of muscle tremors:

Cause	Actions
With hypothermia	If the parents are sure that the child is overcooled, it is necessary to cover him with a blanket as soon as possible and give him a hot drink.
With stress and nervous strain	Tea with chamomile, lemon balm or mint will help to calm the child, and the stressful situation itself requires careful analysis by the baby together with the parents in order to work out the correct decision and procedure.
Chills for no apparent reason	Requires immediate medical attention, since it can be considered a sign of a gradually developing cold or be a symptom of endocrine pathology. In this case, parents are prohibited from giving the child any medications on their own due to the danger of worsening the situation.

Drug therapy for chills is carried out depending on the further development of the baby's condition. If the temperature rises several hours after the onset of the chill, the doctor prescribes treatment with antipyretic and immunomodulatory agents.

With a chill that lasts a long time and is not accompanied by an increase in body temperature, the child should be carefully outpatient or inpatient examination with the necessary diagnostic tests and the appointment of an appropriate treatment.

Children under the age of 3 months with the appearance of chills are hospitalized in the inpatient department of the children's hospital in any case.

Diagnosis of a pathological condition is carried out using:

• laboratory blood tests (OAM and biochemical analysis);
• bacterial examination of biological material released during a possible cough or runny nose;
• neurological examination, which makes it possible to detect autonomic disorders and consists in checking the integrity of symmetry, basic reflexes and muscle tone;
• ultrasound examination of the thyroid gland, to search for possible diffuse nodes and study the state of the adrenal glands;
• X-ray examination of the condition of the lungs and abdominal cavity.

When the body temperature rises, the child is prescribed antipyretic drugs (Paracetamol and Nurofen). It can only be knocked down when the thermometer scale reaches +38.5 degrees. Doctors prohibit the use of Aspirin for the treatment of young children, since its use before the age of 16 increases the risk of developing Reine syndrome.

In the absence of an increase in body temperature and maintaining a state of chills, the doctor prescribes to the child:

Classification of drugs	Drugs
Antispasmodics	Drugs acceptable for use at the first stage of fever help to relax the smooth muscles of the vessels, to expand their lumen and normalize blood flow: Drotaverin; Baralgin.
Sedatives	The use of herbal preparations with a mild sedative effect is permissible for vegetative-vascular dystonia, stress and emotional and nervous overstrain: Novo-Passit; Valerian tincture.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs	They are prescribed for inflammatory processes proceeding without an increase in temperature to block the synthesis of specific mediators and cytokines: Ibuprofen; Mixed.
Immunomodulating drugs	They increase the body's defenses, preventing the development of viral pathologies: Kagocel; Anaferon.

The child is shaking without temperature when endogenous pyrogens are formed in his body, which are poisonous products of the metabolism of pathogens. The chills that arise in this case requires parents to immediately seek medical help. Before the arrival of a doctor, only warming and calming measures for the baby are allowed here, aimed at relieving painful symptoms, relaxing muscles and stopping muscle tremors.

Normally, the state of a child who is faced with a chill normalizes within 15-30 minutes, after which the warmed and calmed baby falls asleep calmly. In most cases, 2-3 hours after the chill, parents can observe an increase in the child's body temperature, which is delayed due to the defective functioning of the hypothalamus, which is responsible for the regulation of heat exchange processes in the body baby.

In a situation where the chills continue for a long time, accompanied by pain, vomiting or muscle spasms that appear, parents are advised to call a doctor. With a subsequent increase in body temperature to 38-39 degrees, we can talk about the development of acute intoxication of the body, requiring an urgent appeal to a pediatrician.

In no case should a child under the age of 3 months be left rubbing against the cold due to the rapid loss of fluid and dehydration of the baby's body. If signs of chills appear, accompanied by intense crying or moaning, parents should call the emergency medical team and pack for the trip to the hospital.

Prophylaxis

The child may shake with an exacerbation of the manifestations of vegetative-vascular dystonia, which often occurs in adolescence and is associated with both nervous overstrain and hormonal fluctuations.

Preventive measures to prevent the reappearance of chills are associated with strengthening the child's immune and nervous system.

Of great importance for this are:

• long walks and outdoor games;
• hardening procedures;
• active physical exercise;
• a balanced diet, rich in proteins, fats and carbohydrates;
• adherence to a clear sleep and rest regimen;
• absence of excessive mental and physical overload;
• taking vitamin and mineral complexes.

Of no small importance for maintaining a healthy nervous system in a child is a good psychological climate in the family, where he can be confident in the love and support of his own parents. Mom and Dad need to closely monitor the condition of their baby and, if necessary, provide him with psychological support, helping to cope with difficult situations and find the right solution.

Chills without fever is a disorder caused by hypothermia, mental stress, or the development of an inflammatory process. Parents who are faced with a situation where their child is shaking, as if from the cold, experts recommend not to panic, but to warm the baby and provide him with warm drink and calm rest.

In most cases, the child will feel better after 15-30 minutes, but if the situation does not return to normal, specialists advise parents not to pull and seek immediate medical attention, due to the risk of developing endocrine or neurological problems.

Video about chills without fever

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