Several children across the city are down with fever caused by the twin factors of heat and frequent temperature fluctuations, doctors said.

Doctors said the exposure to heat was causing some of these fevers as children have an “immature heat regulation” ability. A paediatrician said many of the children were cured only by increasing their hydration and reducing the exposures to heat.

Calcutta is witnessing above normal temperatures for the last few days. The maximum temperature on Monday was 38.6 degrees Celsius, which was three notches above normal. On Sunday it was 39.4 degrees.

Some of the fevers are also results of viral attack, made easier by the children frequently shifting from heated outdoors to air-conditioned rooms, said doctors.

“Many children can be cured only by increasing their fluid intake and by reducing their exposure to heat. Children, especially those below 5 years, have an immature heat regulation ability. They are also not able to understand if they need to have more fluid intake. Parents should be a little more careful during this time,” said Mihir Sarkar, a professor of paediatrics at Medical College Kolkata.

“A ballpark estimate is to increase the fluid intake by 1.5 times than usual,” said Sarkar.

He added that children also were suffering from fever triggered by respiratory tract infections, gastrointestinal infection and associated factors.

Prabhas Prasun Giri, a paediatrician with the Institute of Child Health, said viral infections were also behind many children coming down with fever. Besides fever, runny nose, congestion and sore throat are the common symptoms, he said.

“Frequent fluctuations of temperature expose the children to infections. Children often step into a chilled room after playing in the heat outdoors. Parents should see that their wards did not step into an AC room immediately after coming from the outdoors,” he said.

Many were also getting infected from the swimming classes. “If a child has symptoms of cold and cough, parents should not send them for swimming because other children in the batch might get infected.”

Sarkar added that children should cool down for some time after coming from the outside before drinking cold water.

A south Calcutta resident said his 8-year-old daughter was down with fever since Friday. “Her fever went up to 102.3 Fahrenheit on Saturday. The fever was not receding despite taking medicines. Fortunately, she did not have fever since Monday morning. The doctor has asked us to do some blood tests if the fever did not recede in another
couple of days,” said the girl’s father.

“One of her friends was also down with fever last week,” he said.

The World Health Organisation’s advisory on how to protect infants and children from heat advised against “direct exposure to the sun during peak hours, seeking shade or staying indoors instead.”

“Shade can reduce how hot you feel by more than 10° C,” a WHO advisory said.

It added: “Never leave children or animals in parked vehicles for any amount of time, as temperatures can quickly become dangerously high.”