What to do if you have a fever in 4 months of pregnancy

Physical changes after pregnancy will make pregnant women feel very uncomfortable, especially the early pregnancy reactions of long-term nausea, vomiting and dizziness, which will make pregnant women feel very anxious. However, with the changes in people's lives, coupled with various physical unreactions, it is necessary to understand and recognize some of the key points. The first is that the fever starts in the fourth month of pregnancy. What is going on?

What to do if a pregnant woman has a fever

Pregnant women should pay special attention if their body temperature exceeds 38.5℃

Generally, if a person's body temperature is higher than 37 degrees Celsius, it can be considered a fever; however, most people may not notice the temperature rise and feel uncomfortable until the body temperature is higher than 38 degrees Celsius. The body temperature of pregnant women is higher than that of ordinary people. Because their metabolic rate is faster, their body temperature will be slightly higher than usual by 0.5℃. Therefore, if a pregnant woman's body temperature rises above 37.5℃, you should consider the possibility of having a fever; if the body temperature exceeds 38.5℃, you must pay special attention.

Three principles for treating fever in pregnant women

Principle 1: Find out the cause of fever, treat it symptomatically, and reduce the fever moderately.

Principle 2: If the pregnant woman's body temperature does not exceed 38.5℃ and she has no obvious symptoms of discomfort, you can consider using physical methods to help reduce the fever, such as ice pillows, heat dissipation patches, wiping with warm water, etc.

Principle 3: If the body temperature exceeds 38.5℃ and is accompanied by uncomfortable symptoms, medication should be used to help reduce the fever under the guidance of a doctor.

The causes of fever can be roughly divided into three categories:

One is infectious diseases, including infections caused by pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. Almost all infectious diseases can cause fever.

The second is fever caused by tumors, especially fever symptoms will occur in late-stage tumors.

Third, autoimmune diseases such as lupus erythematosus can also cause fever.

Common causes of fever in pregnant women include: upper respiratory tract infection (such as viral cold, tracheobronchitis), urinary tract infection, gastroenteritis, etc.

Effects of fever on pregnant women

If it is only a short-term mild fever, it generally does not cause harm to the mother or fetus. However, some studies have found that during the 5th to 6th week of pregnancy, that is, the neural tube development period, if the pregnant woman's body temperature is higher than 38.9℃ and lasts for more than 24 hours, it will increase the chance of neural tube defects (such as anencephaly) in the fetus. But it must be emphasized that very few pregnant women will let their body temperature rise so high and last for such a long time without treatment.

It must be reiterated that the pathogen that causes fever itself is more harmful to the mother and fetus than the fever itself. Therefore, when a pregnant woman has a fever, it is important to find out the cause of the fever and prescribe the right medicine, which is more important than simply reducing the fever. If you can't figure out the cause of your fever, it's best to see a doctor as soon as possible.